Il paradiso non finito
Artist: NISKY
March 15–May 17, 2025
Opening Reception: March 15, 4–8 PM
NISKY, Changing Lights in the South, 2025 (detail) Acrylic on canvas, 50.7 x 39 inches ©NISKY, courtesy of Fou Gallery
(New York—March 15, 2025) Fou Gallery is delighted to present Il paradiso non finito, a solo exhibition of new works by Shanghai-based artist NISKY. On view from March 15 to May 17, 2025, the exhibition features ten of NISKY’s latest acrylic paintings on canvas, pushing the boundaries of “Metacollage,” a central aesthetic concept in his practice. Rooted in Karlheinz Stockhausen's theories, "Metacollage" weaves diverse arts into a universal tapestry, reconfiguring them into a "superior unit" that transcends original structures for "complete osmosis." Curated by Yifu Liu, Ph.D. candidate at Princeton University and curatorial fellow at The Frick Collection, the exhibition highlights NISKY’s exploration of the symbiosis between Eastern and Western artistic traditions. Drawing inspiration from Surrealist painter Max Ernst, traditional Chinese landscape painting, and European Renaissance art, NISKY constructs dreamlike compositions that transcend cultural and temporal boundaries.
NISKY embraces the materiality of paint, letting it dictate form rather than imposing preconceived ideas. He outlines irregular areas with tape, layering green and brown pigments before pressing a cloth onto the wet surface. By scraping with fingernails or tools and tearing the cloth away, unexpected textures emerge—suggesting faces and branches, which he refines with brushstrokes. His process recalls Max Ernst’s Frottage and Decalcomania, where randomness shapes surreal imagery. In Beyond Painting (1948), Ernst cited Leonardo da Vinci’s idea of finding images in stains, linking artistic genius to randomness—a concept expanded by NISKY. As he asserts, “Art is like solving a mystery. I am trying to excavate the answer, to uncover the truth, from the disordered state of the paint.”
NISKY’s artistic philosophy is deeply influenced by his background as both a visual artist and a musician. Like Stockhausen’s pioneering work in electronic compositions that dissolve genre boundaries, NISKY’s paintings integrate diverse visual motifs, from Chinoiserie and Greek pottery to Han Dynasty portrait stones and African wood carvings. His earlier works emphasized bold, graphic elements, while his recent shift toward landscape painting explores depth, materiality, and the theme of nature as a universal constant. This pivot originated from NISKY’s encounters with two masterpieces, Emperor Minghuang’s Journey to Shu, a Tang dynasty blue-and-green landscape painting, and Procession of the Magi (1459-60) by Benozzo Gozzoli. By merging the atmospheric techniques of Chinese scroll paintings with the perspectival rigor of Renaissance frescoes, NISKY creates compositions that oscillate between realism and abstraction. Works in Fou Gallery’s exhibition, such as Sunset Melody and Midsummer Darling, illustrate NISKY’s vision of an idealized landscape—an artistic utopia where human forms and natural elements merge in fluid harmony. In Our Ancestors: Family Tree, intertwining figures symbolize the continuum of human evolution, while Star at the Epoch’s End envisions a future where ancient civilizations and modern technology coexist within a shared, interwoven history.
As NISKY “travels” through Chinese and European landscapes, he marks each stop with a red name seal, transforming his English pseudonym—inspired by Fellini and Kieslowski—into a traditional Chinese signature. This seal also echoes a collector’s mark, symbolizing his vast archive of global influences. Even in subtle details, NISKY synthesizes cultures, refining his artistic identity. His recent works contribute to global art discourse, as hybrid imagery has always been shaped by its time. In an era both connected and divided, NISKY’s universal ode to nature offers artistic synthesis as a means of understanding and unity.
Curator: Yifu Liu
*The press release is based on an essay authored by Yifu Liu.
FULL ESSAY UPCOMINGSelected Works
*Click to enlarge images and see artwork information.
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Artist
NISKY (b. 1989, Shanghai, China) is a multidisciplinary artist who fuses painting, music, literature, and cinematic influences into a cohesive creative vision. His pseudonym honors his admiration for visionary filmmakers Federico Fellini and Krzysztof Kieslowski. Currently, he is living and working in Shanghai. His work has continued to exhibit in China, Europe, and in the U.S.A., including Fou Gallery, New York (2025); Galerie Dumonteil, Paris (2024/2017); Galerie Dumonteil, New York (2014); Galerie Dumonteill, Shanghai (2020/2017/2013) and Power Station of Art, Shanghai (2013). He has been widely featured in publications such as Neocha, Shanghai Daily, Artron, and IDEAT. NISKY has collaborated on notable commissions with renowned brands, such as Rolls-Royce (2022) and ELLE China (2013), exemplifying his versatile, multidisciplinary approach. His work is in the permanent collection of Xintiandi (Shanghai).
Curator
Yifu Liu is an art historian and curator. He is a PhD candidate in Art and Archaeology at Princeton University, and Anne L. Poulet Curatorial Fellow at The Frick Collection. His research focuses on the cultural exchange and hybridization of artistic practices between Europe and China in the 18th century. He was the doctoral fellow at the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History at Boston College, and he worked in the curatorial and education departments of the Morgan Library and Museum (New York), Brooklyn Museum (New York), and Princeton University Art Museum (New Jersey). He also gained curatorial experiences by working in a number of art institutions in China, including M Woods Museum (Chengdu) and Museum of Contemporary Art (Yinchuan) and Today Art Museum (Beijing). Currently, he is preparing for an upcoming exhibition at the newly renovated Frick space in 2026, and organizing the annual art history symposium in collaboration with the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University in 2025.
