Through Aug. 10, production designer and artist Xu Guangjie is presenting his hot-glue artworks at the OCAT's (OCT Contemporary Art Terminal) B10 Gallery in Nanshan District.

Titled “Focus Meets Glue Dot,” this is Xu’s first solo exhibition in an art gallery, featuring visually striking, thought-provoking paintings alongside photographs of the film sets he has designed.

Xu introduces his work “Quintet of Life’s Arc.” Photos by Caiyou

As an art director for film and television, Xu constructs carefully designed environments that serve stories written by others. Away from the set, however, he creates works that tell his own stories.

A view of “Focus Meets Glue Dot.”

Discovering the hot glue

Xu's use of hot glue was inspired by his experience in set design. While the material is widely used for model making in stage design, Xu does not treat it merely as a tool — instead, he transforms thousands of tiny glue dots into dreamy, painterly compositions.

His works reward careful observation. At first glance, the paintings draw visitors in with their vibrant colors and rhythmic compositions. Upon closer inspection, countless transparent and opaque glue dots coalesce into striking images. Their organic forms resemble dewdrops, bubbles, or microscopic cells. As the surfaces shimmer while viewers move around them, the glue dots transform into visuals that reveal a deep affection for everyday life.

“Imperfect Balance.”

Xu said he was drawn to hot glue for its unique physical qualities. Its translucent appearance reminds him of dew, melting snow, and the birth of life, while its blurred texture reflects uncertainty about the future. Glue also carries a sense of warmth and healing. Often used to fix a broken coffee cup, it becomes a metaphor for memory and the resilience of ordinary life.

These ideas become apparent in works such as “Quintet of Life's Arc,” which depicts the human journey from birth and childhood through youth and adulthood, and finally to old age and death.

Beyond being displayed individually next to each work, the titles of all exhibits are compiled together on a single wooden board, where they read almost like a collage poem.

Finding meaning in everyday life

A wooden board displays the titles of Xu’s exhibited works.

Xu explains the title of his exhibition: each glue dot appears insignificant on its own, yet together they build complete images filled with energy. He compares his creative process to human society — every individual may seem small, yet each contributes to a larger whole while remaining the "focus" of their own life.

By transforming industrial glue into a poetic visual language, Xu demonstrates that profound artistic expression can emerge from the simplest materials. The exhibition also reminds us that art does not always stem from extraordinary experiences; rather, it can grow out of the repeated, unassuming moments of everyday life, waiting for someone to notice the beauty and connections that have always been there.

A poster for the exhibition.

Time: Through Aug. 10

Venue: B10 Gallery, OCAT, Nanshan District

Metro: Line 2, Qiaocheng North Station (侨城北站), Exit B