Expanding Artistic Horizons: London Art Collective at the 2025 London Art Fair

Expanding Artistic Horizons: London Art Collective at the 2025 London Art Fair

31/1/2025

The London Art Collective (LAC) made a resounding impact at the 2025 London Art Fair, presenting a carefully curated selection of works that highlighted the breadth and depth of contemporary artistic expression. Booth M2 became a focal point for audiences seeking innovative narratives, where established and emerging talents engaged in a cross-disciplinary dialogue. Through the diverse artistic voices of Shaolin Zhong, An Qi, Guoyi Liu, Ivon Yang, and Sid and Jim, LAC delivered a dynamic exhibition that explored themes of materiality, identity, and cultural heritage. By blending tradition with experimentation, the showcase underscored LAC’s role in fostering new artistic conversations that resonated deeply with collectors, critics, and art enthusiasts alike.

January 21, 2025 – VIP Preview Night at London Art Fair, LAC Stand M2

A Showcase of Cultural and Artistic Diversity

LAC’s presentation at the London Art Fair was a testament to its dedication to fostering artistic diversity. Featuring a dynamic selection of artists—including Shaolin Zhong, An Qi, Guoyi Liu, Ivon Yang, and Sid and Jim—the exhibition spanned a spectrum of artistic forms, techniques, and cultural perspectives. From the established mastery of Shaolin Zhong and Guoyi Liu to the fresh, experimental voices of An Qi, Ivon Yang, and Sid and Jim, the showcase celebrated a multi-faceted dialogue in contemporary art.

London Art Collective at the 2025 London Art Fair – Stand M2

Shaolin Zhong, a pioneering figure in contemporary Chinese dyeing art, captivated audiences with his Dye Color Painting series. Drawing from over four decades of artistic exploration, Zhong has seamlessly merged traditional Chinese textile and dyeing techniques with abstraction and deconstruction. His works, layered with wax and resist-dye methods, exemplify a profound engagement with nature, bridging cultural traditions and modern aesthetics. A graduate of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts and Tama Art University, Zhong’s influence extends beyond his personal practice, shaping a new generation of artists redefining textile-based art.

Shaolin Zhong, Curve composition 13, 2020/ Peony Series 1, 2020/ Curve composition 11, 2019, Dye On Cotton, 170 x 120cm

Guoyi Liu presented a stunning series of prints, Mercury Embraces Fortune, inspired by the allegorical transformation of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals. His dreamlike compositions reflect an introspective search for authenticity, reimagining tradition through a contemporary lens.

Guoyi Liu, Mercury Embraces Fortune Series, 2024, Digital Print, 50 × 40 cm, Edition 99

An Qi, known for his conceptual photography, introduced Unity of Mind and Matters, a series that interrogates impermanence and the ephemeral nature of memory. His work explores the dissolution of moments, suggesting that completion is never truly the end—only a transition to another state of being.

An Qi, Trace 2/ Trace 3/Position and Unknow 2/ Unfinished...2, 2024, Giclée Print, 50 × 70cm, Edition 20

Ivon Yang pushed boundaries with his silkscreen print series, Strawberry, an exploration of language systems. By deconstructing visual, written, and digital languages, Yang investigates the ways in which communication shapes our perception of reality. His work, rooted in linguistic theory and semiotics, invites viewers to reconsider the inherent fluidity of meaning.

Ivon Yang, Strawberry Series, 2022, Screen Print, 36 × 25 cm, Edition 12

Sid and Jim, a London-based artist duo, brought their sculptural installation Lodestar (2024) to the fair, an evocative piece that juxtaposes a medieval townhouse atop an industrial watchtower. Crafted using 3D-printed PLA, wood, paint, LEDs, and water vapour, the work stands at 220 x 60 x 60 cm and embodies their fascination with architectural storytelling, fictional tropes, and alternative histories. Known for working across film, sculpture, and curation, Sid and Jim create works that invite viewers to construct their own narratives, playing with invisibility and absence as conceptual tools.

Sid and Jim, Lodestar, 2024, 3D printed PLA, wood, paint, LEDs, water vapour​, 220 x 60 x 60 cm

Highlights from Stand M2

LAC’s exhibition space served as a meeting ground for varied artistic methodologies, where the interplay of tradition and innovation took centre stage. The selection not only showcased technical mastery but also encouraged dialogue on contemporary socio-political narratives, materiality, and abstraction.

A major talking point was the immersive quality of the presentation—Zhong’s flowing dye compositions contrasted against Yang’s structural precision, while Liu’s allegorical prints found resonance in An Qi’s photographic dissections of time. Sid and Jim’s sculptural installation added a three-dimensional narrative, further broadening the exhibition’s thematic scope. The juxtaposition of these varied approaches emphasized LAC’s commitment to breaking the boundaries of conventional exhibition formats.

LAC’s presence at the fair drew significant attention from collectors and institutions, with multiple acquisitions and commissions reinforcing the growing international recognition of its represented artists. The strong market interest in Zhong’s innovative dye-based works, An Qi’s conceptual photography, and Sid and Jim’s sculptural storytelling highlighted the evolving appetite for art that challenges material and thematic conventions.

A Continuing Legacy

As an official partner of the London Design Festival and a champion of emerging talent, LAC continues to shape the landscape of contemporary art. Its participation in the 2025 London Art Fair marks another milestone in its journey, reinforcing its reputation as a platform that nurtures artistic excellence while fostering critical engagement with the art world. With its innovative approach and unwavering commitment to artistic exploration, the London Art Collective once again proves that it is not just an exhibitor but a transformative force in the contemporary art ecosystem.