YINGYAO LIANG
BIO
Yingyao Liang (b.1997, China) is a multi-media artist and painter. She investigates the Ego and the ID, specifically, exploring the theme of liberty and choice among people. She discusses the question of identity via multi-media artworks, such as photography, installation, and performance. Her current body of work combines Chinese traditional art and Western art in her paintings by reinterpreting the stories that affect her in her childhood. The first project is about the ‘Alice in Wonderland” story.
Yingyao received her BFA in Fine Art Education with an emphasis on traditional Chinese painting from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 2019, her work “ Miss Strangelove” was shown in the Guangdong Museum of Art and won the outstanding graduation project scholarship in the same year. She is pursuing her MFA in Fine Arts program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Her works have been exhibited extensively, including Echo Box, Latchkey Gallery, NY, 2023.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work depicts imaginary landscapes, characters, and stories.
My artistic style is influenced by a variety of sources, from traditional Chinese painting techniques to the work of Hieronymus Bosch and the surrealists. I admire the work of Hayao Miyazaki, Tim Burton, and Jan Svankmajer, especially their use of surreal imagery and ability to create alternate worlds. I was trained in traditional Chinese landscape painting and often draw on its loose brushwork and emphasis on the natural world in my work.
In terms of subject matter, my paintings are strongly influenced by traditional Chinese folklore and myths, as well as Western fairy tales and popular cultures, especially cultural touchstones from my childhood, such as Disney's Alice in Wonderland, the Chinese animated feature Journey to the West, as well as Shan Hai Jing, a Chinese fantasy book depicting creatures
from Chinese legends.
I try to subvert these stories by adding a dark twist or unexpected element. I am particularly drawn to ‘creepy’ figures and moods, a sense of unease that is balanced by a feeling of wonder and curiosity. My paintings are meant to be fantastical, surreal, and sometimes even humorous, but with an underlying darkness. I want my audiences to be drawn in by the vivid colors and otherworldly landscapes, but also to be unsettled by the strange characters that inhabit them. Ultimately, I aim to inspire people to question their assumptions about reality and explore the limitless possibilities of the imagination.