Ma Liang, a.k.a. Maleonn

Chinese, b. 1972 Shanghai

BiographyWith their elaborate sets and costumes, Maleonn’s photographs become playful, audacious fables that often focus on the florid and open personality of the young Chinese urban generation. With these aesthetics, Maleonn also retraces historical or renowned Chinese legends that refer to the decadence of modern Shanghai, creating unexpected associations. His work comments on Chinese culture’s misinterpretation of the prevailing consumer culture but also plays with extreme aesthetics to make humanity look as if an artifact, or locus, of beauty.

Ma Liang completed his degree in graphic design in 1995 from the School of Fine Arts at Shanghai University. He worked as an advertising and commercial videographer until 2004, when he transitioned into the fine arts. Ma Liang has been included in multiple solo exhibitions in Shanghai and internationally, including Singapore, Brussels, Seville, and Rome.