Meet Shuai Yang | Artist & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shuai Yang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shuai, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?

As an artist, my visual art practice is influenced by many things, including but not limited to geometry, meditation, astronomy, abstraction, and installation art. The ideas about time and location always fascinate me. I often draw from projective geometry, a diagram used in astronomical observation. The five projection perspectives (equatorial, elliptical, azimuthal, galactic, and super-galactic systems) reflect humans’ position in space at a specific moment. I study the diagram on a database and represent each perspective system with a distinct color in my paintings. 

I adopt the ideas of repetition, multiplicity, matrix making, and layering strategies found in printmaking techniques. My work reveals my affection for mathematical aesthetics, developed by Minimalism, abstract, and conceptual painters and sculptors from the twentieth century. Having studied Jennifer Bartlett’s process-oriented painting methods, I usually limit myself to twelve colors with red, green, yellow, and blue hues when drawing. I apply the colors inside or outside the grids following self-made rules, such as rotating the color wheel ninety degrees clockwise and applying the opposite color above the previous layer. Eventually, the making process assimilates a meditation.

Like astronomical charts, mandalas and grids also map infinity. Grids are the background of my image, and I draw them precisely after calculation. Then, I plan out a composition with concentric circles and squares. Tibetan Mandala is the specific source for my geometry studies. I have been reading about Tibet in novels and travel literature since my teenage years, and have had a chance to visit it. The vastness of nature and the pilgrimage culture had touched my younger self and quietly influenced me through time. I believe the journey to self-transformation is more important than the destination – and this is a metaphor for how art-making should be.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Driven by the purpose of creating new possibilities for understanding the world, which is what artists are for, I choose to pursue a career path in fine art.

When choosing the major in fine arts at college, I felt motivated to express personal feelings accumulated throughout childhood – losing my father at a young age and being the only child of a single-child policy in China. Therefore, I investigated the policy and personal narratives while studying printmaking, a medium of art practice that incorporates printing techniques and contemporary art philosophies.
As my knowledge of the world broadened and my life experience increased, I began appreciating subjects beyond art and found joy in natural sciences and philosophy. The global pandemic challenged my former perspectives at around the same time. Therefore, I have decided to redirect my artistic interest. Luckily, it only took me a few years to realize my desire to investigate humans’ bodily and spiritual relationship to the universe. It is not a coincidence but a natural consequence following my mourning of my deceased father. The change happened during my graduate study, where I also learned ways to explore new mediums and materials, see different artworks at museums and galleries, and bond with peers.

Building the path of an independent artist means running a company by oneself. An artist makes objects, markets the works, develops relationships, writes for opportunities, tracks finances, etc. I feel fortunate to have the chance to choose this career and live the life that follows. Since graduating last summer, I have made paintings, drawings, prints, performances, and installations and participated in artistic residencies and exhibitions nationwide and internationally. The group of work I am currently creating employs multiple mediums and visual content mentioned in this interview. I look forward to sharing them in a public space sometime soon.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In LA, my favorite place to go is the Huntington Botanical Garden. I am a fan of their Desert, Chinese, and Japanese gardens. All of them are well-designed, and each has a distinct style. You will occasionally encounter the fragrance of sweet osmanthus in the Chinese garden, discover a small stone cave underneath a waterfall, and look through windows built on a zigzag walkway. It is an excellent spot for appreciating nature, architecture, simple walks, and meditation.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people, from family to teachers and friends, that I feel grateful to have in my life. For now, I like to keep the names to myself, as it would be unfair if I mention one and not another. My mother and teachers have taught me lessons about career and life. Through practice, I came to the understanding of the importance of many qualities and skills. I have learned that seeing the big picture and having qualities like fearlessness, ambition, persistence, and self-discipline are the foundation of success. I practiced observing and adjusting inner emotions, attitudes, and thought patterns. I look for inspiration, learn from the masters, and maintain openness to different opinions and unfamiliar subjects. With my efforts and my teachers’ influences, I have developed self-improvement habits that expand my experience and broaden my vision.

Website: https://www.shuaiyangstudio.com/

Instagram: shuaiyangstudio

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shuai-yang-b1875b275/

Image Credits
Self portrait: credit Rocio Segura