Imagine tip-toeing down the stairs to the handsomely decorated tree, excitedly unwrapping your first present and finding it was a miniature version of Damien Hirst’s For the Love of God, made and signed by the artist himself. That would be a hell of a start to Christmas Day – unless you really hate Damien Hirst.
Either way, it’s probably not going to happen, but the idea of art as gifts is one that has prompted Beijing artists Xian Jing and Qu Guangci to recreate their work, produced under the moniker X+Q Art, in present-friendly, limited edition form. Making art accessible to the general public in both monetary and practical terms is the central tenet of the project, and with celebrity fans like Cartier and Elton John behind them, X+Q should be doing a roaring trade as the big day looms.
Their work is cute, retaining a traditionally Chinese feel but with a healthy injection of humour and surrealism – for examples see the gaggle of bunny-eared schoolgirls and the old man who is seemingly carrying an armful of tits, although they might be a kind of fruit I’ve never come across. Good news, you can now stop fretting over what gift to get the art lover in your life. Available online from www.culturelabel.com and www.squintlimited.com, and also in-store at Squint’s South Kensington and Shoreditch outposts.
