White Cube now represents Cai Guo-Qiang, making the British gallery the first to represent the Chinese-born, New York-based artist known for his gunpowder paintings. The announcement coincides with White Cube’s solo presentation of Cai’s ongoing gunpowder painting series featuring birds at Tefaf New York (14-19 May). Cai had a solo show at White Cube’s Bermondsey space last autumn, titled *Gunpowder and Abstraction 2015-2016*, his first London presentation since his large-scale project at Tate Modern in 2003.
This representation marks a significant shift for Cai, who has long been a major figure in contemporary art but had not previously aligned with a commercial gallery. The partnership underscores White Cube’s continued expansion of its global roster and highlights the growing market for Cai’s work, particularly his gunpowder paintings and avian-themed series. The deal also reflects the increasing importance of art fairs like Tefaf as platforms for major gallery presentations.