Yue Yang was born in Xinjiang in 1981. She graduated from Xi’an Academy of Fine Art, oil painting department with a master’s in 2007. She is currently completing a ph.D in painting. She lives and works between Beijing and Xi’an.
Interview Excerpt :
- Could you talk about the concept of “Art to Me”?
- This project is more than a retrospective exhibition; it can be regarded as both a beginning and ending. I discussed the project with my classmates, then formulated an invitation for them to participate. I was mainly interested in works that reflected the impact of their studies upon their life experiences since graduation. With this aim in mind, they have showed me diverse ideas, shaped into works that are based on their real lives. The graduates who are still in the field of art were easily able to engage in this programme. Others, who have already taken on different social roles such as directors, editors or managers, were less so, as their careers rarely involve art. However, they still believe that studying painting makes their present-day life different and they intend to figure out where the difference lies through this opportunity. Most of participants are in their thirties, and are focused on their families and careers. There was no restriction on the form of their works, which allowed them to adopt the method of expression they found most comfortable.
- The works exhibited seem to have strong individual characteristics?
- Actually, a group is formed by diverse individuals. At school, we used to be classmates, and there is no denying that we are all connected to each other. This natural relationship between us is not easily changed, even today. Although it is impossible to present the situation of art education in China via this small group alone, we still prefer to figure out what these former students are involved in after graduating from art school. When I discussed this project with my college teachers, who have taught innumerable students, they suggested that, to a large extent, this community could reflect the context of Chinese art education as each student exists in this educational system in various forms and their different identities represent diverse possibilities.
- How did you come up with the idea to present the personal statement of each participant in this exhibition?
- Each participant strives to live a meaningful life according to their own values. It is hard to present a person’s life through a piece of work, which only shows one aspect of their experiences. This programme intends to motivate graduates to rethink their life. Meanwhile, it also allows audiences to know the influence of art studies on the former students. A personal statements can be a more genuine and straightforward way of displaying a personal identity. In fact, it took many of them a long time to figure out how to express their thoughts about their current state. That is why I provided them with eight questions on the subject of career and personal life to guide them.
