Capsule, one of Shanghai’s premier art destinations, is hosting a solo exhibition titled “Beneath an Empty Sky,” focusing on the recent works of Cologne-based artist Mevlana Lipp. Running until June 6, 2026, this selection serves as both an expansion and a re-contextualization of Lipp’s maturing visual language.
From Void to Space: Transformation on Canvas
Lipp’s previous works were known for their depictions of wooden relief flora and fauna suspended in undefined, timeless voids set against dark velvet backgrounds. In the “Beneath an Empty Sky” exhibition, these environments undergo a distinct transformation. Arriving at a point where once depthless backgrounds give way to vast and barren landscapes, the artist’s imaginary beings no longer float in a vacuum but are anchored to a specific placement and point of origin.
In these newly constructed primordial terrains, figures that were once isolated now occupy a space; floating entities take root, transforming their surroundings. As Lipp’s brush moves from the texture of wooden relief to the surface of the canvas, he merges the new narrative possibilities of the material with this theme of settlement.
Metaphors of Instinctual Communication
Themes of intimacy, sexuality, vulnerability, and connection—long at the focus of the artist’s work—continue to resonate in this new series. Lipp’s figures appear as metaphors for human interaction, representing an instinctual form of communication that operates beyond language and conscious thought:
- Heat (2026): An anthurium by a lakeside, its neck bent, melting in a glowing crimson warmth.
- Hug (2026): Vines reaching out from opposite sides of hills, merging at the ridgeline to embrace like a single body.
- Reef (2026): A tentacled duckweed in the middle of a pitch-black void, cradling a glowing pearl as if it were its own moon while gazing at the night sky.
These softly lit figures symbolize the possibility of growth and connection within the landscapes they inhabit, no matter how barren or uninhabitable they may seem.
Radiance Behind Destruction and Stubborn Vitality
The landscapes depicted in the exhibition harbor an ambiguity evocative of the beginning of a world or the immediate aftermath of an end. This threshold between becoming and desolation reflects today’s collective mood, shaped by disorientation and a sense of powerlessness. However, the dominant emotion in Lipp’s work is one of quiet persistence and a will to survive.
Unlike the richly textured clusters of plants in the artist’s previous works, this exhibition focuses on the solitude of singular subjects and controlled brushstrokes. The viewer’s attention shifts from the exuberance of the flora to the conditions under which life resists and develops. No matter how fragile they appear, these figures carry an inner vitality; they continue to glow and advance even in the most desolate landscapes. Lipp’s paintings whisper a cautious optimism: that even in the deepest void, the potential for life can take form and manifest its existence.
Exhibition Details:
- Artist: Mevlana Lipp
- Exhibition: Beneath an Empty Sky
- Venue: Capsule, Shanghai
- Dates: Running until June 6, 2026
