Keke Yang:
Fragments of Being
The Asian Contemporary Artists Alliance proudly presents "Keke Yang: Fragments of Being," a solo exhibition online that explores the transient and fluid nature of identity and existence. Through her diverse media including photography, video, installation, and performance, Keke Yang's artistic works focus on the boundaries of perception and materiality. This exhibition features a selective collection of Yang's works from 2021 to 2024, which utilize visual metaphors to question the stability of identity and the passage of time. "Fragments of Being" invites audiences to engage with the art dynamically, fostering a reflective space that echoes the philosophical and poststructuralist themes prevalent in Yang's creations.
About the Artist
Keke Yang
Keke Yang was born and raised in China and has lived in the U.S. for nine years. Yang holds a BA in Photomedia from the University of Washington and an MFA in Photography from Parsons School of Design in New York. She is a conceptual artist whose work is a profound exploration of the fluidity of existence, challenging the boundaries of materiality and perception. Drawing inspiration from cultural experiences with the fluidity of gender identity, her work manifests these concepts through photography, video, installation, and performance. Yang's work has been showcased in several exhibitions, including the group exhibition at MC Gallery, Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York (2023); UW Photomedia Art Show, Washington (2021, 2022).
Curatorial Statement
The Asian Contemporary Artists Alliance is thrilled to present the solo exhibition "Keke Yang: Fragments of Being." This exhibition offers a selection of works that capture the transient essence of existence and identity through Keke Yang's transformative lens. Spanning photography, video, installation, and performance, Yang creates a narrative that digs into the ephemerality of the moment and the fluidity of the self. Each medium serves as a critical tool for questioning and understanding the world around us. Works such as "Flowing Roots" and "In Between" employ photography to capture transient moments and states of being, urging viewers to contemplate the fluidity of time and identity.
The exhibition explores key themes resonant with poststructuralist ideas, especially the deconstruction of authorship and the instability of meaning. Yang’s series of untitled photographs and installations invite open-ended dialogue by resisting traditional interpretations. "Flowing Roots" and the "Untitled" series reflect on Gilles Deleuze's concept of the rhizome, challenging linear progression and fixed origins. Yang's material choices in her installations—rubber, water, air—are deliberate, contributing to narratives that articulate the ephemeral and fluid nature of existence. These pieces create immersive environments, encouraging active viewer participation.
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Yang’s video works, "Balloon and Pin" and "Balloon and High Heel," offer a visual commentary on the inevitability of collapse and the instability of structures we rely upon. These pieces challenge grand narratives of meaning, underscoring the viewer’s role in creating meaning through active engagement. "Water, Bag, and Walking" reflects on temporality and transformation, while "Catching Air" depicts a series of attempts to capture the intangible, culminating in a solitary, introspective scene that prompts reflection on the solitude of the quest for meaning.
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The exhibition also acknowledges feminist undercurrents within postmodern discourse. Yang's examination of gender identity and the performative nature of her work confronts traditional categorizations of identity. Aligning with theorists like Judith Butler, Yang's work provides a critical perspective on the performative and constructed nature of identity.
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It is an honor for our institution to showcase "Keke Yang: Fragments of Being," an invitation to explore the conceptual depth of Yang's art. This celebration of human experience in all its impermanence is a contemplative journey through the interstitial spaces of existence. The exhibition encourages viewers to consider the narratives inscribed upon the human form and engage in silent dialogue about the essence of being. This showcase of Yang's artistic achievements initiates a complex conversation with the philosophical currents that shape contemporary thought, prompting viewers to question not only what they see but also how they perceive themselves within the flux of contemporary life.
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presented by ACAA
