O Gabinete de Madame Thao is delighted to present “Porquê começar sempre com um círculo?” an exhibition by Lisbon-based Chinese artist Run Jiang. In the black-and-white world of her playful yet serious ink drawings, the artist reflects on her creative process: why does she always begin with a circle?

In Oriental cultures, the circle symbolizes harmony, unity, and balance. This symbolism is frequently illustrated through the duality of yin and yang, as represented by the interplay of black and white. Additionally, the circle invokes concepts of eternity, completeness, and the cyclical nature of life, thereby reflecting the interconnectedness of all things.

For Run, the circle serves as both a starting point and a structural element in her work. Sometimes integral, it can enclose or restrict, guiding her playful and joyful drawings. This beginning establishes boundaries that foster freedom from realistic forms, allowing for a playful exploration of gravity and depth. Run’s style exudes joy and apparent naivety, yet her depictions of figures and landscapes reflect deep emotional expression. Through intimate portrayals of the body and everyday life, she enables imagination to flow through shapes, while adhering to her carefully crafted internal rules of composition.

Echoing Picasso’s idea of “unlearning,” Run strips away the unnecessary, achieving a seamless simplicity. Her circles and surrounding lines create a stage for emotions—sometimes contained; sometimes breaking free. Her drawings invite viewers into a world of wonder, curiosity, and joy, but also of sadness and fear, fostering connections with their inner world.

Having grown up and studied fine arts from an early age in China and later in France, Run Jiang’s use of the circle may be her way of finding unity within the traditions she was raised with, while simultaneously outgrowing the rules and reshaping them to carve out her own space in the world. In turn, the artist invites viewers to engage with her work, prompting the question: why (not) always start with a circle?

About the artist:

Born in 1986, Run Jiang is a Chinese artist based in Lisbon. She graduated from the China Academy of Art (2009) and obtained a master’s degree in fine arts with Jury Congratulations from the Marseille School of Fine Arts (2013). Run Jiang received a grant from the Mart artist residency in Lisbon (2017-2018). In 2017, she was selected for the Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso prize (Portugal) and was one of the nominees for the FID prize (France).

She regularly exhibits her work in Portugal and other countries, namely at Mnac in Lisbon, the Quinta Magnólia Cultural Center in Funchal, the Emmerico Nunes Cultural Center in Sines and the Istituto centrale per la grafica Museum in Rome, etc. Her works are collected by various institutions, including the Ministry of Culture of the City of Funchal, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Camões Institute and the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.