Yuchen Guan
About
Yuchen’s works revolve around the fluidity of imagery within the contexts of globalization and postcolonialism, exploring the intricate relationships between personal identity, market mechanisms, and cultural migration.
<Painting Class> began with the question of whether images can carry cultural identity. Inspired by traditional Chinese painting, the work employs scattered perspectives and collage techniques to echo its spatial philosophy. However, caught between Western visual training and Eastern cultural influences, the symbols within the work became stylized rather than experiential. Viewers often praised the pieces for their “Eastern” qualities, highlighting how the aesthetic was shaped by societal expectations rather than innate perception. The photographic medium itself, rooted deeply in Western visual logic, further complicates this expression of “Eastern-ness.” Through this process, the work reveals not only aesthetic hybridity but also critically engages with the tension between visibility and misrecognition within systems of cultural representation.
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