Artwork Description

Title: Half Edge (Edition 23/68)
Artist: Xu Lei
Date: 2011
Medium: Silkscreen Print
Dimensions: 24.4 × 52.4 in (62 × 133 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Half Edge is a striking silkscreen print by renowned Chinese artist Xu Lei. The composition presents a horse partially concealed behind a curtain, rendered in deep monochromatic blues. The juxtaposition of the visible and hidden creates a sense of mystery, inviting contemplation of presence, absence, and concealment.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Trained in the meticulous gongbi tradition, Xu Lei’s work merges classical Chinese painting techniques with contemporary surrealist sensibilities. This piece showcases his signature symbolism—the horse as a metaphysical subject, the curtain as a boundary between dimensions, memory, or consciousness. The dreamlike atmosphere and restrained palette evoke stillness and introspection.

3. Historical Context
Created in 2011, Half Edge builds on Xu Lei’s longstanding exploration of illusion, temporality, and cultural memory. As a key figure in the post-1985 New Wave art movement in China, Xu challenges viewers to reconsider tradition through the lens of modern psychological and philosophical inquiry.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
This silkscreen print is in very good condition, with no visible wear or discoloration. The artwork is professionally mounted and framed under glass in a clean white frame, providing both aesthetic clarity and protection.

6. Artistic Significance
Half Edge exemplifies Xu Lei’s masterful blending of classical craft and postmodern thought. The obscured horse—partially veiled yet still luminous—speaks to the themes of ambiguity, fragmentation, and the poetic slippage between past and present. This work is a powerful meditation on visibility and void, and a fine representation of Xu’s philosophical depth and visual precision.