Yao Lu (b.1967) is rapidly making a name for himself in the discourses of environmental art. His concern about the impact of China’s rampant path towards urbanization is portrayed through photomontaged manipulations that borrow from the classical Chinese aesthetic style of painting. Mostly circular, fan-shaped, or scroll-like, Lu’s harmonious landscapes are populated by tiny figures walking through the mist. However, a closer look reveals the chimerical mountain scenes are in fact construction sites scaled out of proportion. Lu’s commentary on the dramatic consequences of China’s rapid industrialization is further reinforced by the artist’s stylistic choices. His recycling of a traditional aesthetic to approach contemporary issues reveals the tension between society’s past and present values. Lu’s environmental message crosses borders and raises pressing questions about the hidden costs of modernization and global sustainability.
Lu was born in 1967 in Beijing, China. He attended the Central Academy of Fine Arts, where he currently teaches as an Associated Professor. He received his M.A. in Visual Arts from the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. In 2008 he won the Paris Photo BMW Prize for contemporary photography, and was short listed for the prestigious Prix Pictet award the following year. He made his New York debut with a major solo exhibition entitled “New Landscapes” at Bruce Silverstein in 2009.
He has participated in numerous exhibition and festivals including the Museum of Photographic Art, San Diego; the Royal Academy of Art, London, UK; Fotofest International in Houston; Multi-medium Art Exhibition “Space and Transportation”, Graz, Austria; Paris Photo, France; and at GETXOPHOTO Festival, Bilbao, Spain. His work has been viewed in prominent institutions in the East including the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Turkey; National Museum of Fine Arts, Beijing, China; A9 Art Gallery, Beijing, China; Beijing Art Gallery, China; Brisbane Photography Exhibition, Brisbane, Australia; Daegu Photo Biennale, Daegu, South Korea; Lianzhou International Photo Festival, China; Made In China Fotofestival, Lodz, Poland; Pingyao International Photography Festival, China; and the SuoLuo Gallery, Beijing, China. He lives and works in Beijing.
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Yao LuEarly Spring (早春)Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuMountains and Pines in Spring (春山瑞松)Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuTraveling Amid the Mountains and Stream (春山瑞松)Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuWind Among the Trees on the Riverbank (江渚风林)Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuBirds and Snow in the Cold Dusk (暮雪寒禽图), 2008Chromogenic Print47 x 47 (119.4 x 119.4)
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Yao LuDwelling in Mount Fuchun (富春山居图), 2008Chromogenic Print24 x 71 in (61 x 180.3 cm)
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Yao LuEarly Spring on Lake Dong Ting (洞庭春早图), 2008Chromogenic Print47 1/4 x 47 1/4 in (120 x 120 cm)
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Yao LuFishing Boats Berthed by Mount Yu (虞山泊舟图), 2008Chromogenic Print47 x 118 in (119.4 x 299.7 cm)
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Yao LuBeauty of Mountains and Lake (湖山胜处图), 2010Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuBright Carp Swimming in the Water (锦鳞惊波), 2010Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuCranes Squawking on the Deserted Hill, 2010
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Yao LuHorses by the Spring Stream, 2010
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Yao LuQuacking amongst the Dewed Duckweed (浮萍乐游), 2010Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuReturning to the Woods in the Moonlight (素月依林), 2010Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuSheep on the Snowy Cliff, 2010
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Yao LuThe Calm Spectator of the Sea (静坐观海), 2010Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuThe Roaring Tigers in the Mist (云隐长啸), 2010Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuAutumn Monastery (秋凉思梵图), 2013Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuEnjoying the Plum Blossoms after Snowfall, 2013Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuHigh Pavilion in Cool Summer (高阁清夏图), 2013Chromogenic Print
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Yao LuWine Boat on Pine Creek (松溪载酒图), 2013Chromogenic Print
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20th Anniversary Exhibition
REWIND 16 Dec 2021 - 19 Feb 2022 Gallery ExhibitionsBruce Silverstein Gallery is pleased to announce REWIND, a celebration of our 20th anniversary. Featuring works selected from over one hundred exhibitions, REWIND is an opportunity to revisit the gallery's...Read more -
Yao Lu
New Landscapes 29 Oct - 12 Dec 2009Bruce Silverstein Gallery is pleased to announce the first New York exhibition by Chinese artist Yao Lu, opening Thursday, October 29th, 2009.Read more
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AIPAD 2019
4 - 7 Apr 2019 -
FRIEZE 2011
13 - 16 Oct 2011The artworks chosen by Bruce Silverstein Gallery for Frieze 2011 highlight five contemporary approaches to the image/camera-based medium. The series New Landscapes by Yao Lu,...Read more -
ART BASEL 2011
15 - 19 Jun 2011For Art Basel 42, Bruce Silverstein Gallery would be pleased to present an exhibition of photographic works by the world famous sculptor Constantin Brancusi. The...Read more