Neither entirely abstract, nor figurative, Xie Nanxing’s painting 'The Dwarfs’ Refrain #7' depicts a scene evoking an exchange between two anthropomorphic figures. Rendered in sporadic brushstrokes against a bright red background, the figures appear murky and indistinct, inviting the viewer to fill in the gaps of negative space present within the painting. The title references a body of work by the artist, but can also serve to indicate the depiction of a specific event.

The original oil sketch is based on a small illustration by Nanxing’s father, one of several that Nanxing commissioned him to make in the cartoonish style of their childhood drawing lessons, which Nanxing hated. The “dwarfs” of these illustrations, clearly visible in 'The Dwarfs’ Refrain No. 2', now provide the source material for this new series of paintings, which sees them distorted in various ways: they are collaged onto garish children’s fabric, they are molded with clay, they morph into a traditional Chinese landscape.