{"id":1979207,"date":"2026-06-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1979207"},"modified":"2026-06-08T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T21:00:00","slug":"phantasmic-figures-grapple-with-their-doubles-in-xie-leis-dreamy-oil-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1979207","title":{"rendered":"Phantasmic Figures Grapple with Their Doubles in Xie Lei\u2019s Dreamy Oil Paintings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-4.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a brushy oil painting with a yellow tone of a figure with hands around their face\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cIdol I\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 15 3\/4 \u00d7 11 13\/16 inches. Photo by A. Mole. All images courtesy of Semiose, Paris, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Phantasmic Figures Grapple with Their Doubles in Xie Lei\u2019s Dreamy Oil Paintings<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-06-08T12:37:33-05:00\">June 8, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F06%2Fxie-lei-double-oil-paintings-exhibition%2F&amp;title=Phantasmic%20Figures%20Grapple%20with%20Their%20Doubles%20in%20Xie%20Lei%27s%20Dreamy%20Oil%20Paintings\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#a29dd1d7c0c8c7c1d69ff2cac3ccd6c3d1cfcbc1879092e4cbc5d7d0c7d1879092e5d0c3d2d2cec7879092d5cbd6ca879092f6cac7cbd0879092e6cdd7c0cec7d1879092cbcc879092facbc7879092eec7cb879095d1879092e6d0c7c3cfdb879092edcbce879092f2c3cbccd6cbccc5d184c3cfd299c0cdc6db9ff2cac3ccd6c3d1cfcbc1879092e4cbc5d7d0c7d1879092e5d0c3d2d2cec7879092d5cbd6ca879092f6cac7cbd0879092e6cdd7c0cec7d1879092cbcc879092facbc7879092eec7cb879095d1879092e6d0c7c3cfdb879092edcbce879092f2c3cbccd6cbccc5d187909287e790879a92879b96879092cad6d6d2d18791e38790e48790e4d5d5d58cd6cacbd1cbd1c1cdcecdd1d1c3ce8cc1cdcf8790e4909290948790e492948790e4dacbc78fcec7cb8fc6cdd7c0cec78fcdcbce8fd2c3cbccd6cbccc5d18fc7dacacbc0cbd6cbcdcc8790e4\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"474826\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Double can mean many things. It may imply a duplicate, symmetry, a reflection, a twin, a splitting, or even a shadow self. There is an inherent duality that forms around two parts, which may or may not be in concert with one another. Austrian psychoanalyst Otto Rank was the first to describe the concept in <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/doublepsychoanal00rank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an essay<\/a> published in 1914, and Sigmund Freud ran with the idea in his 1919 book <em>The Uncanny.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>For Freud, the phenomenon illustrated how the unconscious is actually a kind of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/psychology\/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases\/double\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">second consciousness<\/a>. Scottish psychoanalyst R.D. Laing drew on this foundation in his study of schizophrenia in the book <em>The Divided Self<\/em>, which delves into the nature of \u201creal\u201d and \u201cfalse\u201d selves. And in a literary sense, the concept has generated enduring works of fiction, such as Robert Louis Stevenson\u2019s <em>The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde <\/em>or Stephen King\u2019s <em>The Dark Half.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474826\" title=\"\u201cObservance\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 19 11\/16 x 15 3\/4 x 1 9\/16 inches. Photo by A. Mole\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cObservance\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 19 11\/16 x 15 3\/4 x 1 9\/16 inches. Photo by A. Mole\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cObservance\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 19 11\/16 x 15 3\/4 x 1 9\/16 inches. Photo by A. Mole\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2497\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-7.jpg\" alt=\"a brushy oil painting with a green tone of feet being held by hands\" class=\"wp-image-474833\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cObservance\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 19 11\/16 x 15 3\/4 x 1 9\/16 inches. Photo by A. Mole<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For Paris-based artist <a href=\"http:\/\/www.xie-lei.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Xie Lei<\/a>, the double inspires a new body of work in a titular solo exhibition at <a href=\"https:\/\/musees-occitanie.fr\/en\/musee\/musee-denys-puech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mus\u00e9e Denys-Puech<\/a> in Rodez, France. Through feather-light brushstrokes, deep shadows, and glowing hues, the artist renders spectral figures in oil paint. \u201cWhat I\u2019m trying to achieve is to transport the viewer into another world and give them the impression of diving into and participating in the painting,\u201d Xie says.<\/p>\n<p>Some canvases like \u201cResistance\u201d appear to be underwater, yet also feel elemental and weightless, as if the scenes are unfolding in an alternate realm. \u201cDouble I\u201d portrays blurry figures that could be engulfed in flames or perhaps a glowing wheat field, embracing but also possibly combating one another. Disembodied hands often reach out to grasp faces or limbs, such as in \u201cObservance\u201d and \u201cDisappear II.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Throughout Xie\u2019s work, there is a sense of transformation, even transfiguration, as twins or reflections hover between dreams and reality. \u201cThe silent are neither entirely present nor truly absent; they are on the threshold and remain in an in-between state,\u201d says a statement. \u201cContact is never a firm grip, but rather a suspended touch that preserves a slight distance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Double <\/em>marks Xie\u2019s receipt of the prestigious Marcel Duchamp Prize in 2025, which is awarded annually to an artist working in France, and the show runs from June 12 to October 25. He also has forthcoming solo exhibitions later this year at Fran\u00e7ois Ghebaly in Los Angeles and the Song Art Museum in Beijing. See more on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/xieleiparis\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474826\" title=\"\u201cDisappear II\u201d (2026), oil on paper, 16 9\/16 x 11 13\/16 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cDisappear II\u201d (2026), oil on paper, 16 9\/16 x 11 13\/16 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cDisappear II\u201d (2026), oil on paper, 16 9\/16 x 11 13\/16 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2830\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-2.jpg\" alt=\"a brushy oil painting with a blue tone of a spectral back of someone&apos;s head with a hand reaching up to it\" class=\"wp-image-474828\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cDisappear II\u201d (2026), oil on paper, 16 9\/16 x 11 13\/16 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474826\" title=\"\u201cDouble I\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 80 11\/16 x 106 5\/16 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cDouble I\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 80 11\/16 x 106 5\/16 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cDouble I\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 80 11\/16 x 106 5\/16 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1516\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-3.jpg\" alt=\"a brushy oil painting with an orange tone of two embracing figures in a fiery setting\" class=\"wp-image-474829\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cDouble I\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 80 11\/16 x 106 5\/16 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474826\" title=\"\u201cF\u00e1bula\u201d (2025), lithograph, edition of 40 by Idem, Paris, 11 x 15 3\/8 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cF\u00e1bula\u201d (2025), lithograph, edition of 40 by Idem, Paris, 11 x 15 3\/8 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cF\u00e1bula\u201d (2025), lithograph, edition of 40 by Idem, Paris, 11 x 15 3\/8 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-6.jpg\" alt=\"a brushy oil painting with a blue tone of two figures leaning in close to one another\" class=\"wp-image-474832\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cF\u00e1bula\u201d (2025), lithograph, edition of 40 by Idem, Paris, 11 x 15 3\/8 inches. Photo by Pauline Assathiany<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474826\" title=\"\u201cCorrosion\u201d (2025), oil on canvas, 80 11\/16 x 63 inches. Photo by A. Mole\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cCorrosion\u201d (2025), oil on canvas, 80 11\/16 x 63 inches. Photo by A. Mole\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cCorrosion\u201d (2025), oil on canvas, 80 11\/16 x 63 inches. Photo by A. Mole\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2566\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-1.jpg\" alt=\"a brushy oil painting with a blue tone of two spectral figures, one laying down and one appearing to rise out of the other\" class=\"wp-image-474827\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cCorrosion\u201d (2025), oil on canvas, 80 11\/16 x 63 inches. Photo by A. Mole<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474826\" title=\"\u201cResistance\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 19 11\/16 x 15 3\/4 x 1 9\/16 inches. Photo by A . Mole\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cResistance\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 19 11\/16 x 15 3\/4 x 1 9\/16 inches. Photo by A . Mole\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cResistance\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 19 11\/16 x 15 3\/4 x 1 9\/16 inches. Photo by A . Mole\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2505\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lei-5.jpg\" alt=\"a brushy oil painting with a blue tone of a figure with hands around his face and a blur, such as a spirit, leaving his mouth\" class=\"wp-image-474831\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cResistance\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 19 11\/16 x 15 3\/4 x 1 9\/16 inches. Photo by A . Mole<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join us today!<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113464\">$7\/month<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113463\">$75\/year<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-chalk-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">Explore membership options<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"20\" height=\"21\" class=\"wp-image-327872\" style=\"width: 20px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arrow-left.svg\" alt><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<nav class=\"navigation post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"nav-links\">\n<div class=\"nav-next\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/06\/prison-time-marvin-wade-evan-bode-short-film\/\" rel=\"next\">Previous article<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/06\/dave-krugman-windows-new-york-city-photography\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cIdol I\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 15 3\/4 \u00d7 11 13\/16 inches. Photo by A. Mole. All images courtesy of Semiose, Paris, shared with permission Phantasmic Figures Grapple with Their Doubles in Xie Lei\u2019s Dreamy Oil Paintings June 8, 2026 Art Kate Mothes Share Email Bookmark Double can mean many things. It may imply a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-1979207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1979207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1979207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1979207\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1979207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1979207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1979207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}