Dorothy Circus Gallery Rome is delighted to present a double solo exhibition featuring Ai Haibara and Lei Xiaohan, two exceptional sculptors redefining the expressive potential of wood. On show from April 4 to April 30, 2025, this exhibition envelops audiences into a world where nostalgia, nature, and fantasy intertwine, exploring deeply personal yet universal narratives.
Haibara and Lei share a devotion to wood carving techniques but approach their practice from different angles, creating a fascinating interplay between their works. Haibara, born in Okayama in 1981, seamlessly merges traditional sculpting with vivid acrylic paint, breathing life into delicate figures of young women. Often accompanied by animals or plants that serve as spiritual guides, her sculptures explore the interconnection between humanity and nature. With intricate precision, she captures fleeting moments—soft gazes, quiet gestures, the ephemeral beauty of youth—while also imbuing each work with a deeper message of environmental harmony and respect for the natural world.
Lei Xiaohan, a rising talent from Guangxi born in 1996, blends Eastern and Western influences to create sculptural scenes that balance playfulness with introspection. Her figures—often children depicted alongside fantastical creatures—carry a dreamlike quality, conveying a sense of wonder tinged melancholic longing. Through the warmth of polished wood and vibrant color palettes, Lei conjures scenes that feel both intimate and ethereal, as if drawn from distant memories or fables yet to be told. In her work, instead of a time of innocence, childhood is presented as a realm of heightened perception- a space where emotions take on mythical dimensions.
Despite their distinct approaches, Haibara and Lei’s works engage in a compelling dialogue. In their hands, wood—traditionally associated with permanence and solidity—becomes a medium of softness and transformation. Through delicate carving, each artist reveals the emotive capabilities of the material, shaping not only figures but entire worlds imbued with memory, identity, and a quiet reverence for life’s impermanence.
Dorothy Circus Gallery kindly invites you to experience the unveiling of this exhibition on Friday, April 4, with a private reception exclusively for collectors, journalists, and guests of the gallery. The exhibition will be open to the public from Saturday, April 5, until Wednesday, April 30, 2025. To ensure a seamless visit, we recommend scheduling an appointment.
