About Yuheng
Yuheng is an ink performance artist from Chengdu. He came to the United States at the age of 15 and formally began his artistic career. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies from Haverford College and is currently pursuing graduate studies in the history of Japanese post-war art avant-garde movements and Zen art at the University of Chicago.
Inspired by the philosophies of Laozi and Zhuangzi, as well as the philosophical emptiness of Zen Buddhism, Yuheng perceives painting as a spontaneous and intuitive expression, embodying the non-duality of nature. Employing stones and ink as his medium, he breaks conventional boundaries between painting and other art forms like music and theatrical performances through a transmedia approach. For him, aesthetics are an intuitive experience rather than a conceptual expression.
2022
Haverford College Art Commission Show, Astronomy Library, Haverford, PA
2023
Swarthmore College Art Show, Whittier Hall, Swarthmore, PA
Chengdu Biennale Parallel Exhibition, AC Lab, Chengdu, China
(((Time))) Intermedia Art Performance, Axis, Chengdu, China.
Solo Show: Fusion and Diffusion: Interactive Chan Space of Avant-Garde Ink Art, AC Lab, Chengdu, China
2024
First Yuan Art Festival Sponsored by the University of Chicago Center for East Asian Studies and Center for East Asian Art, Nettelhorst School, Chicago, IL.
2024 The Carrousel du Louvre Contemporary Art Exhibition “Rotor”, The Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
Florence International Annual Art Exhibition (Return to the Lostland), sponsored by Associazionne Nazionale di Belle Arti d’Italia, Cartavetra Gallery, Florence, Italy
Ink Beyond Ink: Rethinking the Definition of Ink Painting
Beauty possesses a nature that transcends words, symbolizing the essence of the world and nature itself. The concept of "no writing" in Zen Buddhism has deeply influenced me. I hope to return to my childlike innocence through the process of painting, envisioning myself as a stone, and conveying my understanding of the impermanence of this world through improvisation with my body.
Our society always attempts to assign different meanings to our lives. As modern individuals, we are more or less confined by the shackles of "success" and "meaning" molded by society. Immersed in society's scrutiny, we carry the burden of "success" that is not defined by us, chasing after various meanings that have been assigned to us, yet forgetting to inquire about the true meaning of our lives from within.
I believe that life is impermanent and imperfect. In this rationalistic modern society, we often forget and deny the impermanence of life, considering it a defect. However, perfection is not a natural state, but an artificially assigned judgment. I believe it is because of the existence of "imperfection" that people can live more like humans and express themselves more truthfully. In my works, I try to put down the pen, abandon rationality, and embrace the imperfections and impermanent beauty of life through the irregular trajectory of stones, the free staining of ink, and the fleeting nature of time. The unexpected is also beautiful.
My work attempts to practice the aesthetics of immediacy, transience, and impermanence, using my body and intuition to connect with the mind of the viewers.