Yan Pei-Ming: Eye to Eye Interview with the artist on the occasion of his Paris exhibition
By Olivia Sand
With a career spanning nearly 40 years, Yan Pei-Ming (b 1960) is a painter whose talent and disposition have allowed him to explore countless topics and maintain an ongoing dialogue with art, not just in the medium of painting, but also with art history. From portraits of Mao and the Mona Lisa to interpretations of iconic paintings and numerous self-portraits, Yan Pei-Ming's approach is far from simple: his work carries a power that prompts the viewer to pause and stare. Initially painting in black or red his palette has gradually evolved to incorporate additional colours based on precise, bold, and fluid brushstrokes.
His latest exhibition brings together self-portraits that highlight the painter in a new light by presenting a series of paintings of lions, tigers, and monkeys, echoing the jungle that our world has become. In the following interview, Yan Pei-Ming (born in China and based in France) discusses important moments and influences in his life, and how they unfold in his practice.
'The latest exhibition includes animal portraits to explore the jungle our world has become'
Asian Art Newspaper: This latest exhibition marks a turning point that will unquestionably initiate a new trajectory in your practice. How do you see it?
Yan Pei-Ming: It seems to be the normal course of things one project leads to another; one series makes way for a new one. The gallery in Pantin is in a former industrial space and I had been discussing the project with my dealer for the past five years. Overall, I agree that this exhibition is a turning point since I firmly believe that in an artist's practice there comes a moment when one needs to be bold and move forward.
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AAN: The self-portraits featured in the exhibition show you in a very different light. Do you agree?
YPM: Yes, indeed. Looking back at previous projects, perhaps my past self-portraits were a little too strict - somehow relating to a world of tragedy. I feel this is particularly true for the pieces addressing the topic of death.
AAN: The present self-portraits depict a Yan Pei-Ming who is celebrating life. Previously, as you pointed out, you had completed several pieces relating to death, as well as creating an important homage to the passing of your mother. What triggered this transition towards picturing yourself as a living artist?
YPM: My mother passed away in 2008 and although she always remains with me, and is always in my heart, I had to ask myself while preparing for the Pantin exhibition whether I wanted again to do a show that I would call 'dramatic.' With my mother gone, life has a different meaning, underlining the fact that we are just passing and are not eternal. I have painted a homage to my mother in Burial in Shanghai, which is presently on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego and will later be shown at the Leopold Museum in Vienna. So, in some way, the homage to my mother continues. As for me, I need to live, and I must continue living.
I owe this to my mother: she wants to see her son not just alive, but well, alive, happy, and laughing. This exhibition allows me to provide another reading of my work and its development that is based on a whole new narrative.
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AAN: Speaking of details, in the paintings depicting lions, tigers, or monkeys, you seem to have devoted great attention to the gaze, which becomes the pivotal part of the piece to make it successful.
YPM: Definitely. That is why I titled the exhibition Eye to Eye, which summarises it all: the truth and nothing but the truth. I specifically decided on that title because other options like 'an eye for an eye' imply revenge. In this specific context, it would be misleading and did not represent what I wanted to say. Eye to Eye is more poetic, based on and questioning the gaze itself: whose gaze? Directed at whom? Towards humans? Towards the artist? The animals I portray are at the centre of the pieces, watching, observing, and witnessing it all.
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