Liu Yan

Noel-Baza Fine Art / India Street Gallery

2165 India Street - San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 876-4160 contact us: noel-baza@cox.net

Liu Yan

All artists believe that having an artistic "language" of their own is important. After years of practice, finding my personal art language is no longer a struggle. Instead, the challenge comes from finding an artistic "vision." My vision has developed from my attitude, which determines the concept, as well as theme and language. Only after having one's own life experiences, do we truly understand our own visual language. An outstanding work of art is touched by the soul and emotions of the artist, and is developed with their personal perspective. When the artist falls in love with their work, the viewer will understand and appreciate their dedication. - LIU YAN

About Liu Yan

Liu Yan's works combine the materials and techniques of traditional Chinese painting with Western representational modes and imagery. Liu Yan creates a collage-like painting surface from China's cultural detritus: pages of old books, gold foil, mulberry paper and reproductions of famous imperial portraits of a Qing Emperor and Empress. She then works in a pastiche of imagery and icons from traditional China and contemporary international popular culture, revealing the tensions that lie beneath China's integration into global culture. Rock and roll stars with mohawk hairstyles, punk costumes and spike collars painted in neon colors are juxtaposed with Peking opera actors. Their exaggerated expressions and postures resonate with the masked, elaborately costumed opera figure, erstwhile stars of pre-revolutionary China. The Peking opera actor appears mournful, perhaps witnessing his demise as a cultural icon. Changing gender roles and sexual desire also figure prominently in Liu Yan's work. Women wearing the dress and chignons of Imperial China are rendered in traditional ink painting technique, their bodies hidden by their flowing robes. By contrast, the bodies of modern-day women are revealed in various states of dress and undress. All of these images suggest the unleashing of repressed sexual desire. Traditional figures look on, eyes bulging, mouths open in dismay. The highly animated calligraphic line of their robes is evocative of their disturbed emotional state.

Liu Yan and Robert Rauschenberg

Robert Rauschenberg, the pioneer of the American Pop art movement, combined diverse objects within his work, allowing for a visual communication to occur. His artwork cited many contributing factors to the political, social and international changes of the 1960s. Pioneering the Chinese Neo-Pop movement, Liu Yan proposes an alternative to the prevailing mode by using a painted collage technique which weaves popular imagery within ancient scrolls. Her artwork has its own visual dialogue which examines the juxtaposition of past and present societies