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In winter, it remains in the soil, active like an old silkworm, with hairs that can move. By summer, the hairs emerge from the ground, and the entire body transforms into grass. If not harvested, by winter, it will revert to a worm.

—Wu Yi-Luo, Qing Dynasty, Materia Medica Renewed (1757), “Caterpillar Fungus”

On the 23rd March, in lat. 11° 24′ north, and long. 143° 16′ east, bottom was touched at 4475 fathoms, the deepest successful sounding made during the whole cruise. Specimens from that depth showed a dark volcanic sand, mixed with manganese. In consequence of the enormous pressure at that depth (some five tons on the square inch) most of the thermometers were crushed. However, one stood the test, and showed a temperature of 33*9°, the surface temperature being 80°. 

—Spry W.J.J, The Cruise Of The Challenger(1880)

1.

Caterpillar fungus was first recorded during the Tang Dynasty, in the 8th century. People believed it was two stages of the same species. Not until the 19th century did we learn that it was a fungus parasitizing insects. Science changes the world. It creates a new standard of seeing, a new experience of visuality. This vision is different because it teaches us to accept what defies our instincts. Today, we know that the wonders of the world lie within its depths: microbes determine the course of life. They form serotonin in the gut, which affects the brain, controlling the moods of their hosts—joy, anger, sadness, happiness.

2.

Xuan Chenhao grew up in a metallurgical factory. He has observed microscope slides and knows how the world is built from the smallest components. The monocrystalline silicon used in semiconductors is measured in nanometers, yet it ultimately shapes the contemporary world. The inner world determinesthe outer world, but people live on the surface, often preferring to react to what’s visible and familiar. In contrast, Xuan is drawn to these tiny, absolute existences. The unknown fuels his urge to perceive. His work is to translate the inner workings of the world, its order and dynamics.

Xuan Chenhao’s paintings focus on the density of crystals, the permeability of membranes, the folds of synapses, and the faint fluorescence of cells. They also explore the movement patterns of species within their environment. The inner world expresses nothing, yet it holds countless structures. Xuan understands that at the molecular level, structures are absolute existences, creating the most fundamental flows and relationships. Here, the lyrical qualities of everyday life are irrelevant—only the motion of life matters. Xuan Chenhao’s grammar is the activity of the world.

3.

Xuan Chenhao folds and expands the intimate spaces within biological communities, ensuring they retain vitality. Vitality means multifaceted relationships—it is the collaboration of the cluster, not the portrait of the individual. When you stand before these works, please note that they follow the laws of life—chaos is an illusion, and even spontaneous sensory experiences can be controlled.

For Xuan Chenhao, this language of life force cuts through the smooth veneer of the contemporary world.