Q&A: An Interview with Xingxin Hu

What are your artistic patterns or tropes?

After priming my canvas, I usually apply a ground colour—often green—before I begin painting. This first layer sets the tone for the work. I paint really thinly, so the colours from different layers show through each other, which gives the painting this soft sense of transparency and depth.

Does your practice benefit from more freedom or restraint?

I’d say my work benefits more from restraint. I’m always trying to find the boundaries and markers within my own practice—like keeping my compositions simple, or gradually reducing the sense of narrative in my paintings. These self-imposed limits have formed naturally over time, and somehow they make me feel freer rather than restricted.

Do you have a habit of collecting scraps (objects, images, words) that aren’t ‘art’ but feel like they belong to your world?

When I first moved to London, I noticed so many single gloves left on the streets in winter, so I started photographing them. There’s something strangely alive about gloves—they feel half-object, half-soul. A lost glove isn’t just a misplaced object; depending on its texture, size, and how worn it is, it seems to carry a story of its own.

Which comes first for you—concept, material, or feeling—and does that hierarchy ever shift?

I’m not really a material-focused artist. I like to keep my materials simple so I can start painting easily. But the concept and the feeling behind the work are equally important—they come together to shape how I see the world and how that vision finds its way into the painting. If I ever experiment with new materials, it’s usually because I need something to match a new idea, rather than the other way around.

What are some of your favourite galleries to visit?

My favourite gallery in London is Thaddaeus Ropac—I’ve seen some really unforgettable shows there. I also really like Modern Art and Workplace; they both have a very distinctive eye when it comes to painting.