Beijing rendezvous gallery held 'A Lone Tower with Fireflies' solo exhibition

Editor's note: Rendezvous Gallery, housed within a bookstore in Beijing, presents "A Lone Tower with Fireflies." It is a solo exhibition by Yang Xi. Through watercolor, charcoal, tempera and oil, the show stages a sustained dialogue with self-image — small heads, oversized hands and feet. The close-ups magnify the experiences and emotion of this artwork.

Yang Xi treats painting as a path of exit and return. His figures are at once companions and adversaries; intimate as lovers; confrontational as doubles. Working in paper and watercolor, charcoal alongside tempera on wood, or oil on canvas, he deliberately resists polish, allowing ash-like strokes, blurred color patches and raw surfaces to register emotional pressure.

This photo, taken on Aug. 28, 2025, shows the exhibition entrance within the bookstore. A narrow hall opens onto a larger display which frames the show as both a reading and viewing experience. [Photo by Liu Ziying/China.org.cn]