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Huang, Yan

Chinese, b. 1966 Jilin Province

BiographyUsing the human body as a canvas, Huang Yan creates portraits that merge painting and photography, creating landscapes, patterns, and specific cultural references onto his models’ faces and bodies. In Chinese culture, Confucianism (still one of the most influential philosophies in China) considers the nude body taboo. Yan centers the nude body in his photographs to question where larger traditions stand in modern society.

Huang Yan was born in Jilin Province, China in 1966. After he moved to Beijing, artist Ai Weiwei and curator Feng Boyi included Yan’s work in the Fuck Off exhibition in 2000. Yan’s work was met with wide critical acclaim. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, among many other institutions.