If a single word were to define Nelson Qin’s curatorial practice, it would be ‘holistic’. There is no imposition of a predetermined concept; rather, Qin’s ideas and aesthetic reasoning are situated, responsive, and materially attentive. If a single concept were to define his methodology in terms of composition and the structuring of elements, it would be ‘cosmic and existential harmony’, which manifests as a systemic, relational, and integrative worldview whereby every element is interconnected. Qin’s sensibility extends far beyond the interplay between art objects, generating a complex network of linkages across architectonic frameworks, behavioural responses to spatial atmosphere, and the material and sensory qualities of the artworks themselves. He transforms curatorial practice into a site-responsive, phenomenological enquiry.
On Purple: The Purpose of Hue (2023, London) presents a transdisciplinary and transcultural reading of a single colour in dialogue with the exhibition space. Qin’s aesthetic sensibility and attentive eye process his conceptualisations in relation to the interplay of natural and artificial light, contextualised both in terms of architecture and with regard to the organoleptic character and intrinsic meaning of artworks across a panoply of media. Geometry, the machinic, graphic elements as art source, and the centrality of chromatic reference contribute layers of complexity to a curation that emphasises the mutual shaping of space and experience, particularly in how it elicits perceptual and emotional responses from viewers as they enter and move through an exhibition. This multi-layered rationale also emerges when analysing ROTOR — The Le Carrousel du Louvre Contemporary Art Exhibition (2024, Paris), where the vibrancy of the colour palette across the artworks structures an energetic visual landscape that enlivens the environment and instils in visitors a palpable zest for life.
A philosophy of wholeness, equilibrium and flow is ambitiously and consistently prioritised in ART COLLECTIVE: From the One to the Many (2024, London), A. R. Turner: Energy and ArtEvol 2025: Voices from the Undefined (2025, London), all at Saatchi Gallery. This philosophical approach drives Qin not only structurally, but also conceptually, allowing him to seamlessly bring together highly heterogeneous artistic expressions, cultural influences, and a wide range of disciplines and genres to reflect on pressing and, at times, controversial themes — such as the importance of ecology, the fragility of humanity and nature, questions of identity and minority politics, and the emancipation of the marginal, the latter whether expressed through Global South manifestations or voices long silenced.
Qin brings the universal into dialogue with the particular of Asian wisdom, employing a holistic, cosmically attuned approach to produce original curatorial expressions in major Western art centres. Chinese principles of interconnectedness surface in his curation as a form of transculturation, where relational thinking, balance, and the integration of interior, materials, and perception shape the dialogue between diverse artistic traditions. In this way, Qin allows a wide spectrum of works and cultural references to resonate and acquire new meanings within the globalised contemporary art framework.