YANG YONGLIANG

Yang Yongliang started experimenting with contemporary art in 2005, exploring the use of various mediums such as photography, painting, video, and installation. He is known for using architectural images as brushstrokes and his depiction of layers of mountains with enriched details that draw a faithful reference to Song Dynasty’s landscape painting. Growing up immersed in traditional Chinese painting, painting has always been an indispensable part of Yang Yongliang’s artistic career. Beyond the medium he uses, his creative themes are deeply rooted in the spirituality of traditional Chinese painting and his continuous exploration of contemporary expression.

In his early works, the artist focused on black-and-white and monochrome landscapes, expanding on the experimental use of cement in painting. As his life and experiences evolved, his works gradually showed a shift in color starting from 2020. The oil paintings featured in this exhibition represent a relatively complete expression and attempt at innovation. His long-time living in New York has brought new inspiration and stimulation to his art. Half of himself is influenced by Western art history and the shock brought by the city of New York, while the other half remains the unknowing and fearless landscape painting apprentice from the ancient streets of Jiading County on the outskirts of Shanghai. He continues to explore how to preserve the core of traditional aesthetics while innovating in form and medium.

The Vanishing Mountains series of paintings reflect Yang Yongliang’s relentless attempts and profound reflections on reviving Chinese landscape painting. The digital landscape artworks displayed in the exhibition come from 2024 Parallel Metropolis series and the 2021 Imagined Landscape series. Using his unique perspective rooted in native culture, the artist reimagines the collision and fresh imagery of Eastern and Western art and culture through the form of ‘digital landscapes’. For Yang Yongliang, digital image has always been a more rational form of creation, while painting serves as an emotional outlet. Beyond the medium and form, the theme of recreating landscapes is a strong and pioneering perspective the artist feels within a cross-cultural context, transcending time and space.