YANG YONGLIANG: Journey to the Dark
Whitestone Gallery Taipei is pleased to announce the opening of “Journey to the Dark:Yang Yongliang solo exhibition”.
Yang Yongliang uses architectural images as brushstrokes; heavy mountain rocks with enriched details draw a faithful reference to Song Dynasty’s landscape painting. Urban development gives prosperity to city life although it imprisons many lives on the other side of the coin. Similarly, centuries-old cultural tradition in China has dignified profoundness, but it is always fraught with stagnation. Ancient Chinese people painted landscape in admiration of magnificent nature; Yang’s works meanwhile lead us towards a critical re-consideration on contemporary reality.
The exhibition will also showcase Yang Yongliang’s very first work based in Virtual Reality (VR) – Eternal Landscape (2017). In this work, Yang portrayed an authentic Song Yuan mountain landscape in respect for the golden age of Chinese landscapes. We cordially invite you to come visit this precious opportunity.
TAIPEI
Tel: +886 2 8751 1185
Fax: +886 2 8751 1175
Opening Hours: 11:00 - 19:00
Closed: Sunday, Monday, Public Holiday
ARTIST
Yang creates a dynamic fusion of tradition and contemporary elements, blending ancient oriental aesthetics and literati beliefs with modern language and digital techniques. His artwork presents an expansive meta-narrative that draws inspiration from history, myth, and social culture, all unfolding within the context of the ever-changing urban landscapes. For example, Yang is known for using architectural images as brushstrokes and skilfully portraying intricately detailed mountain rocks, paying homage to the landscape painting traditions of the Song Dynasty. While urban development brings prosperity to city life, it also serves as metaphorical confinement for many individuals. Similarly, he acknowledges the profoundness of centuries-old cultural traditions while questioning their tendency towards stagnation.
In contrast to ancient Chinese art’s celebration of nature, Yang’s art prompts critical reflection on our current reality. Furthermore, his work combines a strong sense of post-modernism with traditional aesthetics. Noteworthy institutions such as the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have collected his works. The artist currently resides in Shanghai and New York.