Solo Exhibition by Xu Sanhuang Che Gallery, Guangzhou | 2025 All works were newly created for the solo exhibition "Undecided Matters" at Che Gallery, Guangzhou, 2025.
Exhibition Preface
“How the state changes of materials between support and collapse form a subtle yet enduring structure.”
This exhibition continues Xu Sanhuang’s long-term observation of the ways in which paper responds to force and transformation, as well as ongoing reflection on how emotions are sustained within the mind. While previous works often focused on the dynamic structures of paper as a medium—between flexibility and tension—this project attempts to translate the “threshold state” of natural materials into a response to internal emotions and psychological conditions.
The opening of bamboo strips, the curling of paper, the embedding of glass, the pulling of raw silk—these are not merely formal actions, but manifestations of psychological states within materiality. They reflect our responses to uncertain relationships, instinctive repair of imbalance, and self-stabilization after disturbance. Xu aims to present a “persistently in-progress” state through the relationships among materials: tension, resistance, slipping, suspension. These relationships arise from direct bodily perception, not deliberate logical arrangement.
There is no fixed narrative in the exhibition. It is more like an entry—an entry into the materials, an entry into one's own psychological structure. There are no standard answers; one encounters certain states unexpectedly along different paths. It is precisely through these subtle and continuous disturbances that viewers may sense those incomplete emotions and relationships that have always existed.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=Mzg5MzI0MzEyNQ==&mid=2247488363&idx=1&sn=ac3d67d68975ed10d7f1d51581893975&chksm=c03088f1f74701e7a9f92306db46235c0e8f038b852b2e8aea14df4bbc12591fc07c4a2f653a#rd许三煌个展｜未决之物（Official Account Article）
Where Edges Meet
dimensions variable ｜2025 Bamboo Slat, Tissue Paper, Sea Glass, Raw Silk, Seeds of Ceiba speciosa
Between States
dimensions variable｜2025
Bamboo Slat, Paper, Sea Glass, Seeds of Ceiba speciosa
The strips of paper are layered to a certain thickness and wrapped into the gap between the bamboo splints. The angle at which the bamboo opens changes depending on the quantity and width of the paper strips. The tension between the paper and bamboo is balanced within the structure, creating a state of “just enough” equilibrium. Seeds and glass are placed inside, forming a set of mutually restraining relationships with the paper, maintaining a subtle yet stable structural tension.
Sea of Feeling
Interactive Installation
dimensions variable｜ 2025
Raw Silk, Sea Glass, Tissue Paper
Sea glass pieces lean against each other, bound and suspended by raw silk. Tissue paper stands vertically between two pieces of glass, held upright by the tension of the structure. As air flows through the space, the entire piece sways gently, presenting a state of unstable balance.
Soft Counterbalance II
67x30x88cm｜2025
Bamboo Slat, Paper, Plastic Clip
The antagonistic relationship is amplified in this small section—while it appears visually gentle, the structure remains under constant tension. The presence of the red clip hints at the openness of the gap, suggesting that the entire structure could loosen at any moment.
A Path Within
14x10x63 cm、7x7x46 cm、4.5x6x34 cm， A series of five pieces, ｜2025
Bamboo Slat, Paper, Sea Glass
The folded paper generates an outward force, while the bamboo splint presses against it in the opposite direction. Sea glass is inserted into the gaps between the paper, held in place by points of mutual balance—always on the verge of being pushed out. No glue is used to fix the glass; the entire structure relies purely on the natural tension and balance between the materials.
Subtle, paper can stimulate human's subtle perceptions. Useless, indicating the function of this series of works. Eternal white, when a language keeps repeating, they cancel each other out and eventually return to zero. Translate ancient Chinese musical instruments in a contemporary way, breaking conventional definitions and transcending traditional thinking. Use sensory materials to construct rational images, presenting unusual sound effects.At the end of 2021, I was invited to participate in the Beijing Station exhibition of the Maywa Denki Art Exhibition, as a local Chinese collaborative artist, creating a series of sound-producing installations primarily using paper as the main medium.
**Year：**2021 Title of the series: Subtle，useless，eternal white Materials: Paper , glue , wood and aluminum Dimensions: 83H x 33W x 7D each
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=Mzg5MzI0MzEyNQ==&mid=2247487592&idx=1&sn=df48bbe383f2ebb4e28a1fd3ca88e641&chksm=c0308bf2f74702e40cc05af0cebd16448a6c432e12693a665c6682da3dad4440c8ca8a946bfb#rd（WeChat Official Account Article）
