Yanyan Huang

Sichuan, 1988

Born in Sichuan, China, and currently residing in New York, Yanyan Huang derives influences from a range of Classical and ancient cultures that map out an elaborate mythology of geographies, identities, and interdependent relationships within her own autobiography as well as the natural world.

Her paintings decontextualize and synthesize elements of calligraphic strokes with automatic gestural mark-making, echoing devotional ornamentation. Sensuous and poetic, these labyrinthian explosions of colors stem from outpourings of emotion, shaped into garden paths of inner psychic landscapes.

Much in the manner of polyphonic musical compositions, strokes of color soar around the canvas as they induce the viewer into a hypnotic abyss. Her canvases delve into the nature of memory through layered arabesque gestures that give impressions of atmospheric tones while yielding a distinctive vocabulary of airy, colorful washes. The overarching flow and movement, akin to voluptuous balletic performance, conjure compositions that personify tenets of baroque tradition, ancient mythological narratives, and allusions to Chinese landscape and calligraphy.

Recent shows include “Time Cloud” at Ma’s House Arts Residency (Shinnecock Nation, NY), “黃彥彥” at Bank Gallery (Shanghai, China), “Friends and Family” at Magenta Plains (New York, NY), “A Couple Of” at Hive Center for Contemporary Art (Beijing, China),“My Secret Garden” at Asia Art Center (Taipei, Taiwan), “Desire Encapsulated” at Make Room (Los Angeles, CA), “El Baile” at Jelato Love (Palma de Mallorca, Spain), “Final del Juego” at Hongkun Museum of Fine Arts (Beijing, China), “Cloud Tempo” at Salt Projects (Beijing, China), “Nebbia del Tempo” at Ibid (Los Angeles and London), “Giardino del Tempo” at Tomorrow Gallery (New York), “Ex Silentio” at CURA (Rome), “Hidden Words” at Gallery Vacancy (Shanghai), “After Effect: Vapegoat Rising” at Ballroom Marfa (Marfa), “Windows” at The Composing Room (Berlin), and “LA Dreams II” at CF Hill (Stockholm).

Huang’s works can be found in major collections worldwide.

Selected works

Requested Artist:

Yanyan Huang

requested Catalogue:

Yanyan Huang