Marking a significant milestone in the artist’s practice, Welcome Back, Boo presents a new body of work created over the past year. Known for his maximalist visual language, Xun draws on his background in fashion to craft works that navigate the intersections of identity, memory, and materiality. Through intricately composed surfaces, the exhibition reflects on how dress and adornment operate as both armour and expression.
Central to the works are simulated weave reliefs—layered textile constructions that function as a kind of secondary skin. These sculptural elements echo the artist’s ongoing exploration of garments as mediators of the self, simultaneously revealing and protecting. The tension between defence and display is palpable, as embellishment becomes a strategy for preserving personal history while projecting individuality.
Each work is painstakingly constructed using a blend of synthetic metallised ribbons and natural materials such as cotton and wool. Xun employs a meticulous hand-aided gathering technique using a sewing machine to shape each strand, assembling them onto textile or wooden backings. Visual patterns are then collaged, permanently pressed, dissected, and remixed to create rich, textured compositions. Wood elements—often multilayered birch ply or mixed ply—are sealed, painted, and integrated with the textile forms, merging structure with ornamentation.
Welcome Back, Boo offers an intimate look into Samuel Xun’s world—where material experimentation and personal narrative converge in bold, tactile forms. The exhibition positions his work within an evolving dialogue of contemporary textile and mixed media practices in Southeast Asia.
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