Artist Yu Yang: Blending traditional Chinese culture with pop art

In recent years Guochao, the rising trend of homegrown design representing a new cultural renaissance in China, has emerged as the younger generation displays a deeper interest in their culture and traditions. The trend is reshaping the contemporary art scene thanks to the imaginative minds of these young Chinese innovators. Among the trendsetters is artist Yu Yang, also known as YY. With a background in both traditional and Western art, he always manages to blend futuristic colors and surreal content with mythical Chinese creatures and iconic figures and symbols.

"I feel more like Guochao found me, rather than me having found this direction in art," YY told CGTN during an interview in his Beijing studio.

The artist said he used to live in the same building as some famous figures from the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University, formerly the Central Academy of Arts and Design, where he later studied. Initially, his artistic endeavors leaned towards hyperrealism, but over time he began questioning the direction of his art. Yu then decided to travel to New York, widely regarded as the birthplace of contemporary art. Immersed in the city's vibrant art scene, he began to create works that combined Chinese elements with New York pop culture, which he developed into his own style.

Yu described his creative vision as making the auspicious mythical creatures found in Chinese culture more relatable to people today. He said he believes they have always been part of the Chinese nation and have blessed the development and progress of the Chinese people.

In his latest series of works related to the Year of the Loong, or Chinese dragon, he has created a more relatable style, departing from the majestic and distant portrayal of the loong in classical imagery. In one work, the loong took up the role as a DJ, spinning records. And the scales he created also took on a more whimsical form, resembling hearts rather than those of a snake.

The same goes for his series of works inspired by Guan Yu, a legendary warrior and hero. Yu explained: "Every industry has its own heroes, such as scientists, healthcare workers, athletes, and so on. So I hope to incorporate Guan Yu into this era as a representation of all the heroes in our society." His hope is that the classical gods that embody the profound nature of Chinese culture can truly exist around people, not just as symbols during festivals, but as beings whose presence can be felt constantly, helping people become better versions of themselves.

For Yu Yang, his ultimate goal is to show the world what the next stage of Chinese culture could look like, adding that "it is paramount that China's young talents and creators voice and spread their concerns and reflections about the future development of Chinese culture."

When asked about his opinion on digital art and the rise of artificial intelligence, Yu says that "it is an inevitable trend" and that "artistic creation should evolve with the development of new tools." And with new regulations coming into place to better protect the copyright for creators, "then in a way, the emergence of artificial intelligence is actually encouraging more people to engage in artistic creations," the artist added. That said, Yu still admits that artists are facing new challenges: "The key challenge lies in the fact that artists today must be more comprehensive. Being an artist means being a comprehensive entity in the process of artistic creation, rather than just delivering two-dimensional works."

As to his future plans, Yu revealed that he was greatly inspired by the presentation of the intricate patterns of the Dunhuang murals during CMG's 2024 Spring Festival Gala. And he's equally interested in presenting traditional Chinese landscape paintings in a more modern and innovative way, as he believes that landscape painting is a fundamental art form of traditional Chinese culture. He said that the country's profound cultural legacy is a treasure trove and he hoped to combine it with pop culture to appeal to young people and explore new possibilities.