Cai Zebin Biography

The often whimsical and fantastic scenes in Cai Zebin's paintings draw inspiration from his extensive knowledge of art history and literature, reinterpreting existing motifs and devices to evaluate the process of painting and, ultimately, making art. Originally born in Shantou, Guangdong province, Cai graduated from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 2012.

Read More

Cai is recognised for his depictions of chess pieces, which appear in various perspectives, sizes, and environments that are otherwise unusual for them. A pair of bishops serve as the heels of imaginary shoes in Fulcrum (2017), while a king and a queen peek out from petals in Nameless Flowers (2017).

In Invitation to a Beheading (2017), one of his most known works, chess pieces are seen upturned or with the black of their bottoms showing, with pocket knives possibly standing for the guillotine. The painting evokes 18th-century Romantic paintings, not only in its dark colour palette but also in the artist's process. As he told Art Frontier in a 2018 interview, Cai likened his meticulous study of the forms of chess pieces to French painter Theodore Gericault's preparation for his masterpiece, The Raft of the Medusa (1818-1819), which involved interviewing survivors of the tragedy.

Cai appropriates artworks across the history of art to reexamine them in his own visual language. The vertically oriented composition of the 2017 paintings The Pray Without Hooliganism and Choose Neither Completeness nor Amulet is reminiscent of Cubist geometric abstractions; the drapes in Fruits (2017) reference American painter Andrew Wyeth's Window (1947), while the knight piece derives from French painter Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin's The Ray (1728).

Cai's cultural references extend not only to his artworks, but also to the titles of his paintings and exhibitions. The Defense (2018), his solo exhibition at Capsule Shanghai that included Invitation to a Beheading, for example, takes its title from the eponymous novel by Russian-American writer Vladmir Nabokov about the internal turmoils of a young chess prodigy.

Another solo exhibition, A Revisit at 2 bis rue Perrel (2020), also at Capsule Shanghai, is based on Romanian artist Victor Baruner's painting The Encounter of 2 bis rue Perrel (1946), which in turn is a tribute to Henri Rousseau. Cai's works in the exhibition show his propensity for translating classical art historical motifs into his own work, such as the Greek theatre mask in Snake Charmer #2 (2019) and the Three Graces in Revisit (2019).

Cai Zebin's artwork has been included in group exhibitions including Night Tour of the Pearl River (2019) at Guangdong Museum and City Unbounded—Shanghai Jing'an International Sculpture Project (2018) in Shanghai.

Cai Zebin lives and works in Beijing.

Sherry Paik | Ocula | 2020

Cai Zebin
featured artworks

View 52 More
The Painter With a Long Nose by Cai Zebin contemporary artwork painting
Cai Zebin The Painter With a Long Nose, 2023–2024 Acrylic on canvas
48.5 x 68.5 cm
Capsule Shanghai Request Price & Availability
Dancing Phantom by Cai Zebin contemporary artwork painting
Cai Zebin Dancing Phantom, 2024 Acrylic on canvas
81.5 x 60.5 cm
Capsule Shanghai Request Price & Availability
Greetings from the Detective by Cai Zebin contemporary artwork painting
Cai Zebin Greetings from the Detective, 2024 Acrylic on canvas
89 x 69 cm
Capsule Shanghai Request Price & Availability
Ichthyic Magician by Cai Zebin contemporary artwork painting
Cai Zebin Ichthyic Magician, 2023 Acrylic on canvas
173.5 x 146.5 cm
Capsule Shanghai Request Price & Availability
Glimmer by Cai Zebin contemporary artwork painting
Cai Zebin Glimmer, 2022–2023 Acrylic on canvas
146.5 x 176.5 cm
Capsule Shanghai Request Price & Availability
Confusion at Midnight by Cai Zebin contemporary artwork painting
Cai Zebin Confusion at Midnight, 2023–2024 Acrylic on canvas
175 x 215 cm
Capsule Shanghai Request Price & Availability
The Song of the Big Shot by Cai Zebin contemporary artwork painting
Cai Zebin The Song of the Big Shot, 2024 Acrylic on canvas
232 x 302 cm
Capsule Shanghai Request Price & Availability
The Song of Chimera 2 by Cai Zebin contemporary artwork painting
Cai Zebin The Song of Chimera 2, 2023 Acrylic on canvas
232 x 192 cm
Almine Rech Request Price & Availability
View 52 More

Cai Zebin
current & recent
exhibitions

View 8 More
View 8 More

Represented by this
Ocula Member Gallery

Capsule Shanghai contemporary art gallery in Shanghai, China
Capsule Shanghai Shanghai, Venice
View 8 More
Learn more about the market for works
by Cai Zebin.
Enquire for a confidential discussion. Enquire Now
Simon Fisher, Ocula CEO
Ocula Advisor
Simon Fisher
Christoper Taylor, Ocula Advisor
Ocula Advisor
Christopher Taylor
Eva Fuchs, Ocula Advisor
Ocula Advisor
Eva Fuchs
Rory Mitchell, Ocula Advisor
Ocula Advisor
Rory Mitchell

Cai Zebin in
Ocula Advisory

Cai Zebin in
video & audio

Ocula discover the best in contemporary art icon.
Follow Cai Zebin
Stay ahead.
7 new artworks have recently been added.
Receive updates on new artworks,
exhibitions and articles.
Your personal data is held in accordance with our privacy policy.
Follow
Do you have an Ocula account?
Ocula discover the best in contemporary art icon.
Get Access
Join Ocula to request price and availability of artworks, exhibition price lists and build a collection of favourite artists, galleries and artworks.
Do you have an Ocula account? Login
What best describes your interest in art?

Subscribe to our newsletter for upcoming exhibitions, available works, events and more.
By clicking Sign Up or Continue with Facebook or Google, you agree to Ocula's Terms & Conditions. Your personal data is held in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you for joining us. Just one more thing...
Soon you will receive an email asking you to complete registration. If you do not receive it then you can check and edit the email address you entered.
Close
Thank you for joining us.
You can now request price and availability of artworks, exhibition price lists and build a collection of favourite artists, galleries and artworks.
Close
Welcome back to Ocula
Enter your email address and password below to login.
Reset Password
Enter your email address to receive a password reset link.
Reset Link Sent
We have sent you an email containing a link to reset your password. Simply click the link and enter your new password to complete this process.
Login