Kaiyuan Yang's Symbolist Photography Explores Loneliness and Chinese Traditions
Kaiyuan Yang's exhibition 'Looking back at you' at Flash Art features his symbolist photography, moving image, and installations that address contemporary anxieties through meticulously composed scenes. Drawing from Chinese religious and cultural traditions, Yang explores the customs of loneliness and the paradoxes of the 'people pleaser' persona. Works like 'Conversations with the Reflection' (2025) depict a man confronting his reflection beneath icy branches, symbolizing the isolation of performative selves. In 'The Edge of Warmth' (2026), a fog-shrouded house with a single woman at the window highlights solitude in rural life. The six-part series 'Ghost Marriage' (2024) examines the Chinese custom where deceased individuals are posthumously married, invoking the Red Thread of Fate and imagery of a bride before a black door, flanked by a father and a matchmaker. The exhibition is on view at Flash Art in 2026.
Key facts
- Kaiyuan Yang's exhibition 'Looking back at you' is featured at Flash Art.
- The exhibition includes photography, moving image, and installation.
- Yang's work addresses contemporary anxieties and loneliness.
- His imagery draws from Chinese religious and cultural traditions.
- 'Conversations with the Reflection' (2025) depicts a man pondering his reflection beneath icy branches.
- 'The Edge of Warmth' (2026) shows a fog-shrouded house with a single woman at the window.
- 'Ghost Marriage' (2024) is a six-part photographic series about a Chinese custom of posthumous marriage.
- The series uses the Red Thread of Fate and imagery of a bride before a black door.
Entities
Artists
- Kaiyuan Yang
Institutions
- Flash Art