Art to give you the Heebie Jeebies in Exeter

Widely revered as a rising star of the contemporary art world, Wang’s new exhibition, entitled ‘Heebie Jeebies’, will be on display at Castle Galleries in Exeter from Saturday 9th May until Sunday 24th May.

Combining old-school glamour with the fun and risqué attitude for which Wang is renowned, this new body of work explores her fascination with the supernatural and her uniquely light-hearted take on ghosts, sparked from other-worldly encounters she experienced during her childhood.

The collection continues to take inspiration from Wang’s reoccurring themes of Hollywood iconography, childhood paraphernalia and vintage memorabilia, but in these new works her distinctively elegant ladies are combined with ghostly companions.

Originally coined in Los Angeles, California, ‘lowbrow’ art describes an underground visual art movement, which has cultural roots in comics and street culture, and often portrays a sense of sarcasm, and sometimes mischievous humour.

In contrast to traditional lowbrow artwork which is commonly produced digitally, Wang’s alternative method of using oil on boards highlights her meticulous attention to detail within each piece, combining elements of humour with academic realism throughout her paintings.

Selina Cassidy, Castle Fine Art, Exeter’s Gallery Manager, said: “We are so pleased to be unveiling Xue Wang’s latest collection in our gallery; her work is very different to what we’ve showcased before, and I’m sure it will be well-liked and spark many conversations, which is one of the purposes of art.

“The collection is playful in her portrayal of mischievous ghosts, whilst also glamorous with her use of pin-up women. However, delve a little deeper and the sheer academic skill which has gone into each piece shows just how expert Xue’s technique is. We believe art should be enjoyed by everyone and we expect that Xue’s work will attract new people to the gallery.”

Originally of Chinese decent, Wang relocated to London aged 22 to finish an MA in Fashion at the University of Westminster. Whilst there, painting and drawing, playing around with ideas and juxtaposing images with facets of her imagination guided her development from fashion towards pursuing art as a professional career.

Speaking of the new collection, Xue Wang said: "My take on ghosts is perhaps a little tinged with light-heartedness. I believe they are not demons who threaten us mortals. But their merry mischief undoes our sense of everyday security. They rummage in our larders, shin their way up our drainpipes and play havoc with domestic bliss. As these spooks creep among us we needn’t shrink from them, but welcome their witty messages from the other side!"

Signed limited edition prints from Xue Wang’s new ‘Heebie Jeebies’ collection are available to buy and start from £695.