SUN Xun: Heroes and Magicians: Solo Exhibition

As one of the most acclaimed contemporary Chinese artists, SUN Xun (b. 1980) has held solo exhibitions at major museums across China, the United States, Europe, and Asia, solidifying his prominent presence on the international art scene. SUN Xun has developed a distinctive artistic oeuvre characterized by metaphorical imagery, fantastical narratives, and delicate yet bold brushstrokes. The animals depicted in the circus scenes of SUN Xun's recent works evoke shamanism and folk beliefs rooted in East Asian traditions. These anthropomorphized animals, set in a fictional, magical world, are brought to life through striking brushwork and vivid colors. The large animals gazing at the audience, the tiny figures fleeing from them, and the unsettling scenes of empty theater stages subvert the usual dynamics between human and non-human, observer and observed. In doing so, they pose a critical challenge to anthropocentric thinking. In his compositions, figures of shamans wearing animal masks, performing rituals, frequently appear. These figures serve as mediums, facilitating communication between the human and non-human realms. SUN Xun likens the role of the shaman, who bridges two distinct worlds, to that of the artist. This is reflected in his attempt to convey the unseen world through the visible medium of art.

This exhibition marks SUN Xun’s first solo show in Korea in 7 years. Spanning 3 floors of ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, it will feature his stop-motion animation films alongside original oil paintings and woodblock reliefs. The series of exhibited works is closely connected to the universe of the feature film Magic of Atlas (2019–)¹, which SUN Xun has been working on since 2019. This exhibition features vibrant displays of its 1^st chpter, Luocha (螺刹)², and the 2^nd chapter, Jing Bang (鲸邦)³. The stop-motion animation Shocking Dreams in the Circus (2022–2024), which fills an entire wall of the ground floor, serves both as an independent short film with its own narrative, and as a prequel to Jing Bang. Presented in the basement, the landscapes of Jing Bang—the original paintings that serve as the foundation for the animation—are depicted with SUN Xun’s characteristic delicate brushstrokes and vibrant colors, standing out in oil on canvas. The surfaces are finished with a glossy resin, enhancing the three-dimensionality of each piece. On the 3^rd floor, the original works from the 1^st chapter of Magic of Atlas, entitled Luocha, are on display. The landscape of Luocha was created through intricately carved woodblock reliefs, colored with oil paint. The intricately carved scenes effectively highlight bold yet delicate strokes, while the sharp outlines and the striking contrast of vibrant colors amplify the work’s unique sense of fantasy.

SUN Xun was born in 1980 in Fuxin, a mining city in northeastern China, and grew up in the aftermath of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The socio-political environment he observed during his formative years inspired him to explore themes such as politics, culture, and memory within the context of world history. After graduating from the Printmaking Department of the China Academy of Art in 2005, he founded Pi (π) Animation Studio in 2006. His animated films were featured in the 2016 exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and gained international attention when showcased on the billboard in Times Square in 2017. Currently, SUN Xun is participating in the group exhibition Chine: A New Generation of Artists (2024–2025) at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. His works are part of the permanent collections of leading institutions worldwide, such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (US), Hammer Museum (US), M+ Collection (Hong Kong), Tank Shanghai (China), and ARARIO MUSEUM (Korea).