ARCH GALLERY Shanghai is currently presenting artist Le Qi’s solo exhibition Runner, which opened on May 8, 2025, and will last until June 14.
The works in this exhibition depict a wild white strawberry called "Piaozi" from the Gannan mountainous region. It extends and propagates through stolons in rock crevices and barren soil, silently spreading into a patch of vibrant life. These visible little elves scatter among the wild and rocky piles in remote areas, summoned by a deeper and farther message: all life is destined to be dispersed. Facing the turbulent earth and this crowded, barren living space, there is no choice but to let go... There is an instinct to stay. Some inner instincts of life begin to emerge: the need to transform the baseless experience of the abyss into real-life emotions. They spread like gossamer, without reason—this is the stolon also means runner .
In these paintings, some living beings are completely wrapped in a thin-film state, which is both flesh and limbs: a semi-liquid existence that can be leaned on and indulged in. This state also has an extremely short "tasting period." It is as if all fresh and precious experiences carry a fleeting quality, reflecting a stunning speed of life.
We have excerpted fragments from the artist’s correspondence with close friends, who share the backstory of Le Qi and her exhibition creation from a deeper perspective.
