Chongqing, May 5 -- Title: Yi Yan, a young artist from the "post-25 generation": Painting the world of fantasy with "fantastic ideas"
Zhong Yi, reporter of China News Network
With the brush in the hands of young artist Yi Yan, the agile beluga whale, wandering water creatures, and the imaginative "Chinese dragon" jumped one by one on the huge glass wall in three rings. The sunlight adds a touch of childlike interest to the exhibition hall.
This is the scene that the reporter recently saw in the traditional style area of "Shancheng Alley" in Yuzhong District, Chongqing City. Yi Yan's solo exhibition "Letters" is on display. The scenic area was crowded, and many young people followed the guidance to temporarily "stay away" from the hustle and bustle and enter the fantasy world constructed by this "post-98" artist.
The picture shows imaginative works that attract viewers. Photo by Deng Jiuming
Yi Yan, a 25-year-old native of Liuzhou, Guangxi, graduated from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in July 2021 with a major in illustration. Since his sophomore year, Yi Yan has emerged in the circle with the creation of "gods and Buddhas" in other worlds. In an exclusive interview with Chinanews.com, he revealed that another major reason why his works have attracted attention is the innovative integration of painting comprehensive materials.
According to reports, after starting art learning, Yi Yan has always liked to create with watercolor. In college, he came across rock painting, a niche form of painting in which mineral color was the main color. "The texture it presents, the application of gold and silver leaf, is in line with the natural traces I am pursuing, the philosophy of 'the unity of heaven and man'." With curiosity and anticipation, Yi Yan explored the gradual addition of rock painting techniques to watercolor paintings until he formed a unique painting style.
The picture shows the scene of Yi Yan's solo exhibition "Letter". Photo by Deng Jiuming
The pen cultivated and Yiyan grew all the way. From small series of works such as "Zodiac" and "Nine Songs", to the three series of masterpieces mainly represented by "Forest Beyond the World" and "Water Realm", to the collections "Xiaoyin", "Water Cup Kappa Research Institute" and "Letters from Gods", Yiyan has accumulated more than 10,<> fans on major social platforms in China.
"I love nature and the creatures that live in it." Speaking about his painting style, Yi Yan said that his early works mostly involved traditional magical creatures, including the Western griffin, the phoenix, the divine dragon, and the Celestial Dog in ancient Chinese mythology. As his experience grew, he began to "whimsy", combining the characteristics of animals and plants to create unique "fantasy creatures", such as "wild mushroom villains", "moonlight tarsiers" and "forest leaf-tailed dragon birds".
Yi Yan is not only good at painting traditional Chinese art and nature, constructing a sense of traveling through time and space with large scenes, but also likes to skillfully integrate life elements into his paintings. For example, whales swim to the depths of flowers, and trains gallop to bring splendor; Elephants emitting strange light visit while the boy is asleep, and the floor is littered with paint and brushes. "By adding the things of daily life appropriately to the painting, the work will be closer to life." Yi Yan said that the mystery, full of natural atmosphere and a little cuteness is a comprehensive evaluation of the audience's paintings.
"Serenity is the aesthetic orientation of my paintings, and it will also be the self-style that I insist on conveying to the audience." Yi Yan said that it is not so much that the painting has the function of healing the viewer, but that he is being healed by the painting. While creating, he enjoys the state of full dedication, weaving the fantasy world in his mind without being disturbed. The biggest expectation is that the audience follows the painting to expand their imagination and find the resonance of the spiritual world.
The picture shows imaginative works that attract viewers. Photo by Deng Jiuming
"To keep creating, you need to keep loving it from the heart." For Yi Yan, who is in his youth, his future career path is not yet bound by rules, and he will continue to sharpen and express his thoughts and thoughts with his brush naturally and with pleasure.
"Magnificent imagination, fantastic artistic conception", "I was speechless for a while, I only felt that my heart was spied on", "Very amazing, very moving, very spiritual"... The reporter saw on the special message wall in the exhibition hall of "Letters" that the visitors wrote down their feelings about visiting the exhibition, and the sincere words were like "replies" of encouragement. (End)