ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My art explores the dance between opposing forces— restraint and liberation, pessimism and optimism. Rooted in my migration and survival experiences, I mold clay to embody vulnerabilities, desires, and emotions, capturing time and space within each piece. Clay for me becomes a medium for both liberation and fluidity. Intrigued by Daoist philosophy's balance of nature, society, and self, I use clay to freeze the flow of spontaneous thoughts and feelings in a specific time and space, encapsulating moments into complex sculptures, paintings, and installations. With an enduring goal to evoke empathy and self-reflection, my artwork uncovers the intricate, undefined emotions that weave our shared human experience.
BIOGRAPHY
(b.1987, Xiangtan, Hunan Province, China) Renqian Yang earned a B.F.A. in Ceramics from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, China (2009) and an M.F.A. from Syracuse University (2014). Currently serving as an Associate Professor at SUNY Oswego, NY, Yang's artistic journey has spanned exhibitions across the U.S., China, South Korea, and Japan. Notable showcases include NCECA, “Mapping the Multiverse” (2024), "Contemporary Narratives," "We Gather Each Other Up" (2023), and "Rivers Connect" (2021). She also participated in the “Shiwan cup” emerging artist ceramic sculpture competition (2023) and the "International KOGEL Award in TOYAMA" Exhibition in Japan (2020). Yang's creative path is evident through solo exhibitions such as “Retrace” at Jingdezhen International Studio (2024), "Sounds of the Ephemeral" at Fou Gallery (2021), Cayuga Museum of History and Art (2019), and Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue Gallery (2018). Residencies at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts (2017, 2023), Craigardan (2018), Jingdezhen International Studio (2018, 2023), and STARworks, NC (2022) have significantly enriched her artistic journey. Additionally, her work was included in the Korea-China Ceramic Art Exhibition in South Korea in 2022 and 2023.