The powerful art of Chiharu Shiota and Yin Xiuzhen comes to life at Hayward Gallery this month in two solo exhibitions that explore their extensive work, rooted in collective memory, intimacy and personal experience. The gallery’s senior curator, Yung Ma, delved into the artists’ bodies of work to present a show that is monumental in scale, drawing visitors into a contemplative engagement with the surrounding space through tactile hints of everyday materials.

‘These solo exhibitions celebrate Yin and Shiota’s clearly distinct artistic styles and approaches, reflecting the different generations, places and teachings that have impacted their work,’ says Ma. ‘Yet, these artists can be seen as united by a sensibility – one that elevates their own personal perspectives to reflect on our wider shared experiences.’

Chiharu Shiota’s immersive show activates the gallery’s brutalist architecture with sprawling, large-scale installations in signature red, black and white wool threads. It explores the fragility of existence, body, memory and consciousness in her quintessential dreamy, dramatic atmosphere. Deeper inside, earlier installations like The Locked Room (2016) and During Sleep (2002) appear alongside archival material from Shiota’s early performances, which explored boundaries between the self and nature, and spotlight her latest collaboration with writer Yoko Tawada.

‘This exhibition reflects the often hidden connections between us, with each thread becoming a trace of our shared existence, weaving visible forms from the invisible threads of life,’ says Ma.

Through everyday objects and materials, Yin Xiuzhen’s Heart to Heart redefines the ordinary. The first major retrospective of the Chinese artist takes over the lower-level galleries and features three decades of work, including new and reinterpreted installations that carry personal and collective significance.

‘The heart is our human engine and, in my culture, it transcends the mind,’ says Xiuzhen. ‘I am delighted to have this chance to engage in a heart-to-heart dialogue with visitors of the Hayward Gallery, drawing on my 30-plus years of practice. This exhibition is an opportunity for mutual exchange, one I hope will generate sparks.’

Its name is inspired by a new commission: a massive, immersive heart-shaped installation made from used clothing, where visitors are encouraged to step inside, creating a space for reflection on how our individual and collective experiences are linked.

Both shows launch this week, running through 3 May 2026.

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