Exhibitions Beyond the Castle

Blue and Violet:
The Dialogue of Time

Zhang Xiaoming's Solo Exhibition

EXHIBITION DETAILS

Beyond the Castle

Artist:
Aimilios Metaxas
David Iain Brown
Dien Berziga
Jan Valik
Ioana Baltan
Isaac Andrews
Ran Yuxiao

Curator: Xu Ziyan

Producers:
Guo Jianguang
Shen Shufan

Organizer:
XIMA GALLERY
LAN ART CENTER
GENZO

Support unit

MEIJIAN Green Plum Liqueur

Opening: July. 2, 14:15

July. 2 – Sept. 21, 2025

10:30—17:30, Open Tuesday to Friday

LIAN Gallery, 5F, Xiwenleji, Building 6, Riyao City,
Asian Games Village, Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou

In Franz Kafka'sThe Castle, the protagonist confronts an opaque and unreachable system—a power structure that refuses entry, understanding, and resolution. Beyond the Castledraws inspiration from this existential predicament, creating a terrain for exploring fictitious order and the pursuit of authenticity.This exhibition invites seven artists to navigate, through their paintings, a landscape where institutional illusions interweave with personal longing. From translucent corridors and cyclical pathways to the ultimate "wall of desire," each space evokes the tension between systemic control and individual agency.This is not a retelling of Kafka, but rather a contemporary response: In today's social constructs, is authenticity still attainable? Beyond the castle, can we find our own path toward meaning?

Dean Berziga (b. 2001, Beijing) is a Chinese-Italian artist based in London. Dean's practice merges traditional forms with contemporary techniques, bridging past and present to construct a dialogue between craftsmanship and the digital. His work explores individuality and the intimate narratives embedded within urban landscapes.He employs 3D-printed frames, inspired by architectural forms encountered in daily life, which serve as organic extensions of his painted narratives. These structures invite viewers to reflect on the architectures we inhabit and how such spaces shape our perceptions. By transforming everyday experiences into intimately cherished artifacts, Dean's work resonates with the profoundly personal yet universal rhythms of urban life.Dean holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (2023).

Ran Yuxiao was born in Chengdu, China. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, USA in 2020, and received his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the Royal College of Art in London, UK in 2023. He currently lives and works in London, UK.

The works are taken from an animal series I created this year. I have always held a subtle, one-sided affection for animals—a feeling that is both alien and intimate. The alienation comes from their cross-species nature and the barrier of language, while the intimacy stems from the relative simplicity of their behaviors compared to humans. Although I did not consciously put myself into the roles of these birds and beasts during the creative process, looking back at the finished pieces, I can always glimpse traces of my own state of mind at the time of painting through their final postures and the environments they inhabit. I wonder if this is an unconscious way of using objects to express myself. Perhaps my focus will shift from animals back to humans. Would such a scene cast me more as an observer or a participant? I'm curious to see.

Băltan's work is characterized by its focus on contemporary female figures, often depicting images with luminous, wrinkle-free faces and perfectly synthetic strands of hair. Her large-scale compositions explore female archetypes and their historical representations—from angelic icons of beauty and grotesque monsters to spiritual warriors and, more recently, animated plastic likenesses. Băltan's urban goddesses are surrounded by fantastical landscapes, cosmic elements, wildlife, and artificial light, creating a visual tension between the fantasy of beauty and the stark realities of contemporary female narratives. Her provocative and vivid works challenge viewers to look beyond surface-level interpretation.

Aimilios draws inspiration from his Greek heritage and the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. His work explores mythology, history, and identity through intricately repeated details, trompe-l'oeil frames, hand-stitched jewels, and silk embroidery, transforming each painting into a dual carrier of image and artifact. Early mentorship by visual artists from Pixar and Disney introduced him to the power of visual storytelling, shaping his approach to composition and narrative. He completed his Bachelor's degree on scholarship at NABA: Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan, and later earned his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the Royal College of Art in London in 2023.

Isaac Andrews is a 22-year-old London-based artist and curator. He completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Chelsea College of Arts and is expected to receive his/her Master's degree from the Royal College of Art in 2026.His works are held in international private collections, and he has collaborated with brands such as Miu Miu, Off-White, and Converse. Andrews has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, and his curated group shows have been covered by various media outlets, including i-D, Dazed, 10 Magazine, Office Magazine, Hypebeast, and Shadowplay Magazine. Through portraiture and details of daily life, his work evokes the unassuming warmth of kinship, love, and friendship. Characterized by dynamic lines and textured backgrounds that preserve the innate warmth and breathing quality of wood grain, his paintings resonate with an intimate, lived-in tenderness.

David Iain Brown is a Glasgow-based contemporary artist, holding a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Art Practice and an MFA from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen. Originally trained as a printmaker, Brown later turned to painting, bringing a precise and process-oriented approach to his work. His practice is rooted in the idea of transformation—reconfiguring studio remnants such as torn fabric, discarded works, and repurposed textiles into bold abstract compositions. Brown’s work explores deconstruction and reassembly, pushing the limits of materiality to create layered pieces that are both meditative and dynamic, inviting viewers to uncover the intricate details of contemporary abstraction.

Jan: "I view painting as a fluid, psychological, and metaphysical field, wandering between the ambiguity of perception, the evocation of emotion, and the call of otherness. My work is inherently connected to the principles of abstract and landscape painting, while also rooted in its alchemical traditions and a expressive sensitivity toward materiality and evocative possibilities. I explore painting as a sensitive and complex ecosystem, drawing inspiration from both Eastern and Western philosophies. My paintings move through the interplay of external environments and internal emotions, creating fluid and imaginative spaces that transcend traditional categorization."