In the post-Cultural Revolution era, Chinese artists have been critically engaged with interpreting history and looking forward. Xue Song creates this deliberate cultural discourse between the old and the new through the negative space left behind and through the incorporation of charred leftovers from the 1990 fire that burned down his studio and his entire collection of artworks. The canvas becomes a form of mourning, a remembrance of the past, but also a hope for transcendence and rebirth.

In The Blown Off Kite, Xue Song juxtaposes a contemporary cultural iconography with traditional calligraphic scripts, creating a multi-sensory imagery. The work demonstrates Xue Song’s acclaimed ability to integrate contemporary elements with elements manifested in the cultural memory, simultaneously preserving the historic memories while presenting his understanding and grasp on contemporary iconography as well.