Hong Kong exhibitions showcase artist Yang Jiechang's mix of wit and woe
A child of the Cultural Revolution, the artist has a bleak view of the world, yet his work can be witty and playful.
It is easy to understand why someone who grew up during the Cultural Revolution might have a darker view of the world. That seems to be true of Chinese artist Yang Jiechang, who says: "We live in a time of conflict and unpredictable change, where feelings of insecurity and disorientation prevail."
Not that Yang thinks the world is any worse than it has ever been. "Actually, the world is always pretty foul. Nothing has changed," he says.
Despite this dismal assessment, Yang's art can be witty and playful, as visitors to his upcoming exhibition will discover.
Even in conversation, there is a constant counterpoint of irrepressible joie de vivre that runs alongside his gloomy outlook. "China, the world, everything's a mess. But chaos creates opportunities, either for property developers or artists."
He has the advantage of being able to observe this mess from an international perspective. The Foshan-born artist has lived in Europe since leaving China in 1988 to take part in an exhibition in Paris just before the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Now, he divides his time between Paris and Heidelberg, and visits China several times a year.
He says his transnationalism has not erased his Chinese cultural roots. "It's impossible. I first picked up a calligraphy brush when I was three years old," he says.