Profile 3


Green Snake Spitting Out Its Tongue (2024), acrylic and oil stick on canvas, 210 x 170 cm, courtesy of the artist and Skarstedt, New York © Yuan Fang


I attended an international boarding school in China, enrolled in SAT (Standard Assessment Tests) camps, and studied towards advanced placement courses. Although I did not take any art


classes in China, I always knew I wanted to do something creative when I grew up. In high school, I was interested in photography, looking out for photography magazines at my school whenever I could. It was my goal to create something, even though I did not know under what terms it would be or if I would be any good at it. Ten my parents decided to send me to Boston University to study business. After one semester, I dropped out and changed direction, applying to art school instead. I moved to New York to start as a freshman at the School of Visual Arts (SVA).


AAN: How did studying photography at the SVA ultimately lead you to become a painter? YF: In Shenzhen, I did not grow up seeing paintings in institutions and I had no connection to the medium either. I was initially studying photography at the SVA because Shenzhen does not have much art or culture in general, and therefore, there are not many art museums. Basically, the only time I visited museums was when my parents took me on trips to Europe. In addition, as a high school student, I was so busy studying for my SAT that I neither had the time nor the energy to create paintings. When I began my studies at the SVA, photography seemed like the most logical choice at that time. Once I was in New York, I began visiting museum and gallery shows since my student ID would allow me free entry to all the institutions. In freshman year, there was not much homework, and I felt it was a perfect opportunity to observe what was out there. Tis is how I got into painting, especially abstract expressionism. It was most interesting, and since I did not have a studio or a physical space to make paintings – and was on a tight budget – I started drawing in my sketchbook. People who saw my drawings were very enthusiastic about them, pointing out that I was actually very good at it. Reflecting on what people had said


and after giving it some thought, I concluded that I was not much of a photographer and decided to change


Where the Lights Are Fading (2024), acrylic and oil stick on canvas, 210 x 170 cm, courtesy of the artist and Skarstedt, New York © Yuan Fang


my major. I opted for ‘visual and critical studies’, which is like fine arts, but with an emphasis on philosophy, art history, and humanity classes. Even though I ended up taking two painting classes as an undergraduate student, my priority was not to have someone teach me how to make a painting, which I thought I could do on my own, but rather to learn about art history. As such, I just went ahead with my work, making a lot of bad paintings as I started out. Over time, however, everything fell into place.


AAN: What drove you to the conclusion that you were not that good a photographer? Were you questioning the quality of the finished photograph, or were you missing the hands-on aspect you find in painting? YF: First, I realised I was terrible at teamwork, and as a photographer, you shoot in the studio with an entire team that involves lighting people, assistants, etc. I could not really function in this way, nor did I think I could direct a model. Also, for me, there were not many perspectives as a photographer, mainly because I did not want to do anything figurative. When I was studying photography, I was doing a lot of semi-abstract still-life photography like Barbara Kasten (b 1936), and I also admired Laszlo Moholy-Nagy’s (1895-1946) work. Ultimately, I got bored with photography but quickly identified that I needed a medium where I could start from zero. Sculpture was not an option as I am not comfortable working on anything three-dimensional and I am not a handy person. I also ruled out filmmaking since I am bad with narratives. As I began making drawings, I became fascinated with it and people quickly acknowledged that I was much better at drawing and painting than any other medium. Looking back, I am grateful for the advice and guidance I received, which encouraged me to get started.


AAN: When you began sketching, were they already abstract drawings? YF: Initially, I was very fond of Surrealism, basically because Surrealist paintings are easy to transfer through reproductions and pictures. I came across Surrealist images browsing on the internet and their content truly caught my attention. Looking back, I felt


attracted to Surrealism probably also because I shared their approach, completing some drawings based on Automatism. Ten, I began to transfer my drawings onto canvas, but the more I did it, the more I realised I did not want to depict on the canvas anything I could see in real life. As a result, I turned my direction and focus to abstraction.


AAN: What specifically prompted you to avoid depicting anything you could see in real life? YF: Tere are several reasons for it. Initially, when I moved to the US, my English was not very practical but rather based on what I had learned in China to pass the SAT exam. So, it took me a long time to learn how to communicate with people. Because of the language barrier, I went through a long period of isolation. In undergraduate school, when I was around 18 or 19 years old, I was basically just a quiet Asian child sitting in the classroom making drawings. I came to realise that making these drawings was a way for me to escape reality. Growing up in China and then moving to the US was a huge change, and with no family members nearby, there were some moments when I went through hard times and felt depressed. Drawing and painting felt like therapy. Tat is why I did not want to depict anything from my surroundings because I was longing to escape my reality. Drawing and painting allowed me to do just that.


AAN: How did coming to the US and experiencing a new culture affect you not only as a person, but as an artist? YF: Moving to New York has changed me much more than coming to the US. Arriving in New York and walking on the street, I had this exhilarating feeling that I could do whatever I wanted without anyone noticing. I could cry on the street without anyone caring. Tat gave me this feeling of unlimited freedom, allowing me to explore myself not only as an artist, but also as a person. At first, I was fighting the idea of becoming an artist, because I did not know whether I could make a living at it at all. In addition, my parents were not familiar with the life of an artist and thought it was a terrible idea. Tey decided to cut me off as they did not see any point in sending me money to simply paint. I had to make my own living, which at that


Open Fire (2024), oil and charcoal on canvas, 220 x 170 cm, courtesy of the artist and Skarstedt, New York © Yuan Fang


stage was extremely challenging. However, it pushed me to be very hard-working and constantly improve my practice. Looking back, the very fact of coming to New York and living there made me a stronger person.


AAN: Visiting shows in New York must have taken you in two different directions: envisioning all the possibilities yet acknowledging the pressure of the past. Was it an eye-opening experience? YF: It was indeed an eye-opening experience for me, as you rightly point out. When I go to MoMA, for example, and see the paintings of De Kooning (1904-1977) or Lee Krasner (1908-1984), I am amazed and impressed at the same time because I truly appreciate what these pioneers have accomplished, as these works still resonate with me and I have a deep connection to them. I keep having this idea that maybe, if I work hard enough, I will be able to make good paintings. Perhaps in the long run, once I have passed away, people will also establish a connection with my work, which would be very rewarding. To answer your question more specifically, I don’t worry about the past, I simply intend to work even harder.


AAN: Beyond De Kooning and Lee Krasner, which other artists have had an impact on your development as an artist? YF: I would consider Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) and Krasner as my ‘painting parents’. It is how I started painting, but now I do not see them as major influences at this point in my practice. I am now more inspired by earlier artists like Francis Bacon (1909-1992), Arshile Gorky (1904-1948), and Roberto Matta (1911-2002). As for contemporary artists, I love Ross Bleckner (b 1949) and then, surprisingly, David Dale (1947-2019). Tey are my major influences and, of course, I also like Cecily Brown (b 1969), but I think that would be obvious.


AAN: Looking back, what was the pivotal moment that brought the twirls or the curves (depending on how you want to call the), into your paintings?


YF: To me, they are more like curves. I feel curvy shapes or lines represent female bodies and desires. In that respect, the female body


– and as a result the female desire – is less straightforward than men’s. It is more subtle, yet also very powerful. Over time, I came to realise that this subtle rendering came out better in oil than in acrylic. When you first see these paintings, you may just see harmony and beautiful shapes. Looking closer, however, there is chaos or turbulence, with different layers interacting with each other, creating that bizarre feeling.


AAN: Beyond the female bodies and desires, what would you want to reveal about the female condition in general? YF: It is a very broad topic. Obviously, it is much easier to be a woman today and have equal rights than it was 50, 20, or even 10 years ago. However, in my opinion, there is still a lot that needs to be done. Even though there are trends in the art world, like the increasing interest towards female abstraction, for example, there is only one living female artist, namely Cecily Brown, who has had a solo show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (Cecily Brown: Death and the Maid, 2023). Tat is why I feel there is still a lot that needs to be improved. It is a fact that today the most expensive artists are still mainly male artists.


AAN: As for your paintings, do you consider them autobiographical? YF: Yes. Initially, I was very inspired by my own story. When I start a painting, it is very much about improvising and then being driven by the flow.


AAN: You mentioned improvisation. Do you start the painting intuitively? How would you describe the process? YF: Most of the time, I follow a very basic composition and colour palette that I have in mind to begin with, even though in practical terms it is not exactly the way it will probably go. While I am a very together person in daily life, when I work, I choose to let the painting direct me. I like this contradiction between my life in the real world and my life in the studio. Sometimes, when I am working, I end up staring at the painting for one or two hours before suddenly deciding to add this or that. Whenever I finish a painting, I take a photo of it with my iPhone, reviewing it later, which leads me to add something the next day once I am back in the studio.


Continued on page 4 ASIAN ART | APRIL 2025


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