Wearing landscapes on our skin and body reminds us the importance of Chinese artistic heritage in each and every Chinese people’s life. Two decades after Huang Yan has published the series “Chinese Shan-shui Tattoo”, which talked about harmonious interaction between human beings and nature, Leo Gallery Hong Kong is delighted to present to the Hong Kong audience this photography exhibition: “Tattoo Utopia”. This collection is also known as the most representative and unique works of artist Huang Yan.
Starting from 21 September to 15 November, public can appreciate 13 “Chinese Shan-shui Tattoo” unique photography artworks by Huang Yan. All these exquisite photographs have been exhibited in world-renowned museums such as National Art Museum of China in Beijing, Musee du Louvre in Paris and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, just to name a few.
In the early 90s, Huang Yan realized that traditional art and contemporary art are deeply connected and can never be isolated. From that moment, he has started to paint Sung and Yuan Dynasty landscapes (“Shan-shui”) on human face (1994), on body (1995), and finally on canvas (1998). He was very awed by the unlimited room for imagination in the process of transferring image from paper to “human canvas”. After, landscape painting on human body caused a revolutionary rebirth of traditional art form in the modern context. During this process, Huang Yan found the art of turning back the clock, and the way to draw audiences’ attention towards the relationship between ancient culture and daily life.
At the same time, Leo Gallery Shanghai is holding another solo exhibition “The Shan-shui Worldview” of Huang Yan. We wish to celebrate together the great contribution of his works to the contemporary art history.
