Yu Hong

As an artist adept at depicting both grand narratives and personal moments, Yu Hong crafts contemporary fables and intricate allegorical compositions by infusing historical, narrative-driven art with a distinctly modern perspective.

Biography of Yu Hong

Yu Hong was born in 1966 in Xi’an, China. From 1984 to 1988, the artist studied Oil Painting at the Central Institute of Fine Arts in Beijing, obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She has been a teacher at CAFA since 1988.

In the summer of 1993, she tied the knot with fellow Chinese contemporary artist Liu Xiaodong and soon after embraced motherhood.

Her recent solo exhibitions include "Night Walk" at SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah (2023), "Yu Hong: The World of Saha" at  Long Museum West Bund in Shanghai (2019), "Yu Hong: Garden of Dreams" at CAFA Annual Fine Arts Nomination Exhibition (2016), and many more. 

Yu Hong has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including "From the Other Hill" at Guardian Art Center in Beijing (2023), "The Art of Life: Contemporary Art by Female Artists" at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing (2022), "2021 Beyond" at TAG Art Museum in Qingdao (2021), "And Now" at White Rabbit Gallery in Sidney (2020), "Afterimage: Dangdai Yishu" at Lisson Gallery in London (2019), among others. 

Yu Hong's Art Style

Yu Hong's artworks typically capture the various stages of female life and explore the dynamic between individuals and the swift societal transformations occurring in China. While primarily using oil paint, she also employs pastels, fabric dye on canvas, silk, and resin in her creations.

Initially, her paintings intertwined realistic portraits with surreal landscapes and vibrant colors. However, over time, her penchant for surrealism waned, and she sharpened her observational skills, particularly attuned to facial expressions and bodily gestures. Hong's subjects predominantly feature women, often including herself, her circle of friends, family, and her daughter.  

Her ongoing autobiographical endeavor, "Witness to Growth," initiated in the 1990s as a collection of diptychs, traces her personal journey juxtaposed with contemporary news clippings from each period. Presently, this project includes her daughter's milestones intertwined with her own, forming a parallel narrative of their lives.

In addition to portraying individuals as ethereal, resolute celestial beings, Yu Hong's subjects also grapple with profound lows such as depression, urban decay, and social estrangement. Her artistic influences span a wide spectrum, drawing from the styles, ideologies, and aspirations of both Eastern and Western Old Masters, ranging from ancient cave paintings to Renaissance altarpieces.