Detail: Born in Jinan, Cui Fei studied at both the China Academy of Fine Arts and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she received her MFA. Based in New York since 1996, she has exhibited extensively across the globe, and is best known for her artworks that use natural materials such as thorns, vines and seeds.

Vermicular Calligraphy will debut a new body of work by the artist, one that she has been developing for several years. According to the artist, “This series is a further exploration of the asemic writing found in nature. While out collecting plant materials, I was intrigued by the markings carved by beetles on tree trunks and how much some of these patterns resemble Chinese calligraphy. Through my research, I discovered that bark beetles have long been part of the ecosystem. They attack weak or sick trees to make room for new growth. Unfortunately, climate change has turned this natural process into a man-made disaster.”

The discovery led to a new body of work by Cui, in which she uses ink rubbings to capture the patterns carved by the bark beetles, and later transfers them into lead sculptures that she calls ‘Sheaths’. This exhibition focuses on the ink rubbings, the first part of her process, which has resulted in paper relief artworks. The paper rubbings take on a three-dimensional form – in essence, they are delicate molds of the tree trunks where bark beetles left their natural markings. Mimicking the path of the beetles, Cui has also created an installation for the exhibition, with fragments of ‘bark’ that horizontally traverse one wall of the gallery. As always, she brings the natural world into dialogue with human culture. Language and writing—symbols imbued with meaning—form the basis of human society, and Cui finds parallels to writing systems throughout the natural world. Through her work, she reminds us of the delicate balance between humans and nature.

“Through the ink rubbings, I trace ‘writing’ back to its origin—nature, emphasizing its importance to our civilization. These works serve as a metaphor that transformative changes are urgently needed for a sustainable future.” – Cui Fei, 2025