Lot 21
Yang Yang Painted Relief - Figure on Horse
Yang Yang Painted Relief - Figure on Horse
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Yang Yang (Chinese-American, b. 1953). Figure on Horse. Mixed media: gesso and paint on canvas, n.d. Signed at lower left. A dynamic mixed media painting by Yang Yang, executed in gesso and paint on canvas with such dense impasto that the surface rises almost like a relief. The human figure and horse emerge from this sculptural ground, their forms articulated through layers of earthy pigment built up into tactile ridges and planes. Ochres, browns, and grays dominate the palette, accented by subtle passages of red, green, and blue, which animate the surface and lend it depth. The composition conveys an intimate connection between figure and horse, rendered in Yang's distinctive fusion of human and animal forms. The richly textured surface, intentional and carefully worked, transforms the canvas into an object as much as an image, blurring the line between painting and low relief. Size: 20" W x 16" H (50.8 cm x 40.6 cm)
In this work, Yang unites the technical rigor of his early foundations in China with the experimental freedom he embraced in America. The result is an evocative painting that resists a single narrative, inviting each viewer to engage imaginatively, in keeping with the artist's belief that "there will be a thousand stories."
About the artist: Born in 1953 in Nanchang, China, Yang Yang grew up in a household grounded in both engineering and education. His father, Yang Ge, was an engineer and his mother, Qi Hua Ling, a teacher. At age sixteen, Yang encountered the painter Zhu Yu Hu, whose influence would remain profound throughout his life. He later described Zhu not merely as an art teacher but as a mentor who shaped both his artistic foundation and his philosophical outlook.
In 1975, Yang graduated from Yichun Teachers College in Jiangxi. He began his teaching career at Xiao Gang High School and later taught at Nanchang Qishanhu School, balancing his duties as a literature instructor with an increasing devotion to art. During this period he also pursued further study at Jiangxi Teachers College, where professors Qixianmu and Zhang Yuanyou left a lasting impact on him - Yang would later call them "soul makers."
In 1984, Yang Yang made a pivotal decision: he left China and moved to the United States to deepen his artistic studies. At Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he earned his Master of Arts degree in 1987 and joined the faculty there as an art instructor. His years in the Midwest proved formative, both academically and artistically, and introduced his works to American audiences for the first time. His early exhibitions gained critical attention, with works featured in publications such as "ArtNews," "Interview Magazine," and "Art & Antiques."
Yang Yang's art is marked by its mythical landscapes where animals and humans coexist in fluid, ambiguous states. His palette often gravitates toward monochromatic tones, layering texture and form to explore humanity in ways that defy racial or ethnic boundaries. His works provoke interpretation rather than provide resolution. As the artist himself has said: "There is no answer. You just have to think about it. If the artist does not tell the story, there will be a thousand stories."
Throughout his career, Yang Yang has exhibited widely across the United States and internationally. He has shown at major institutions such as the Xi'an Art Museum in 2004, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in 2007, and the ShanDong Art Museum in 2014. His work has been collected by notable institutions including the Mobile Museum of Art and continues to appear at international fairs such as Art Basel, Art Palm Beach, Scope Miami, and Art Hamptons.
With more than four decades of work, Yang Yang has cultivated a vision that transcends cultural boundaries. His paintings invite audiences into an illusory world - one where myth, history, and memory intermingle, and where every viewer becomes a storyteller.
Provenance: private Burbank, Illinois, USA collection via inheritance 2024, acquired between 1970s to 2000s
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Item #
197070
- Condition: Excellent. Painting is in excellent overall condition. Signed at lower left.
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