Lei Xue's series of abstract paintings, "Alpine Landscapes," are reminiscent of snow, barren countrysides, and deep mountain lakes. Xue explains that the exceptionally long panoramic formats he employs evoke Chinese artistic traditions, while his painting emulates the glazing techniques of Dutch masters. This combination of diverse cultural elements is Xue's central theme, a focus that may arise from his unique personal history. Born in 1974 in Quigdao, he studied oil painting in Shandong before moving to Germany to begin studies at the School of Art in Kassel under the tutelage of Urs Lüthi. Xue's interest in cultural conflicts, but also in tradition and contemporary culture, is acutely captured by a piece consisting of multiple soda cans littering the floor of the gallery. Seemingly bent and bashed like so much garbage, their material contradicts their form: The cans, hand-painted with typical motifs from the Ming dynasty, are made of fired porcelain. Is this an elevation of trash culture or a gesture toward retrieving and modernizing a great, lost era? Either way, Xue presents a subtle show in which he combines epochs, cultures, and styles and transforms them into profound and poetic works of art.