Wang Haiyang

Wang Haiyang's artistic endeavors encompass various mediums, including painting, video, sculpture, and installation.

Biography of Wang Haiyang

Wang Haiyang was born in 1984 in Shandong Province, China. He obtained his BFA from the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in 2008.

His works have earned recognition from over 50 international festivals. In 2010, his inaugural animated film, "Freud, Fish and Butterfly," secured the Grand Prize at the Holland Animation Film Festival (HAFF). Two years later, in 2012, Wang's film "Double Fikret" was honored with the Silver Dove at the 55th DOK Leipzig Film Festival in Leipzig, Germany. Additionally, in 2014, Wang received the Jury Nomination Award at the 3rd Huayu Youth Award in Sanya, China.

Wang Haiyang's solo exhibitions include "Wang Haiyang" at Capsule Shanghai in Shanghai (2018), "Ravage" at Galerie Paris-Beijing in Paris (2018), "Wang Haiyang: By Himself" at OCAT in Xi'an (2017), "New Directions: Wang Haiyang" at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing (2016), and many more.

The artist has also exhibited his art in various group shows, including "Bodies and Souls" at Cassina Projects in Milan (2023), "Étude" at Aranya Art Center in Beidaihe (2020), "They Rise When Vernal Breezes Blow" at Make Room in Los Angeles (2019), "REPLY" at White Space Beijing in Beijing (2018), among others.

Currently, Wang Haiyang lives and works in Beijing, China.

Wang Haiyang's Art Style

Wang Haiyang uses a multimedia approach to broaden the expressive boundaries of art. His creative output delves into contemporary existential themes, using the human body as a medium to explore concepts like identity, language, and desire.

Within his art, rebellious desires clash with constricting conventions. The imaginative, shape-shifting figures and bodies often manifest in surreal settings with unconventional forms and logic. The artist fearlessly immerses both himself and his subjects in the most intimate, delicate, perilous, and nonsensical scenarios.

The foundation of Wang Haiyang's animated creations is rooted in the manifestation of surrealism and the profoundly imaginative metamorphosis of images, giving rise to an unbounded realm.

Wang Haiyang's animated creations stem from his background in painting. The artist uses crayon on a single sheet of emery paper, applying and then erasing it repeatedly in a cyclical manner. This process does not involve preserving any conventional sketches. The viewer witnesses a transcendence of thought, wherein the artist allows things to unfold naturally. Wang views his artistic practice as an effective means of excavating his personal subconscious.