Yang Jiechang 杨诘苍

Yang Jiechang combines traditional Eastern and Western modes of representation in his multimedia work. He calls the essence of this confluence “Eurasian,” saying, “Eurasia is the land I experience everyday in my life: I am from Canton, China, my wife is from Germany, our children are Eurasian. We feel this land; this disposition and lifestyle bear a lot of possibilities and power.” His monochromatic ink paintings combine the aesthetics of contemporary painting with the tools and techniques of traditional East Asian ink-and-wash artworks. In Xuanzai Ink (1992–96), Yang created a contemplative, expressive splatter of black paint over the wrinkled, textured surface of fine xuan paper and gauze, evoking the look of abstracted calligraphy and echoing the work of mid-century painters, such as Adolph Gottlieb, as well as more recent artists like Olivier Mosset. Yang also works in video, photography, and sculpture.