Grew up in Wuhan China, Yuyang Zhang is a multi-disciplinary queer artist currently living in Portland, Oregon. His works often revolve around topics related to automotive culture and cultural identity and the millennial life on the interweb.
Duo
I see cars as a means of escape; they are the societal symbol of physical and mental freedom.
I see cars as a body of aspiration; they entice people to fulfill desires by taking control of wheels.
I see cars as a mirror ball that radiating memories; one second, those images are so bright and clear but disappear immediately the next moment.
I see cars as a metaphor for identity; they tell the world who they are and who we are through shapes and colors.
Cars are more than a mixture of materials that move. I see them as an emotional vehicle that runs on the fast lane, so fast that I almost can't catch up, yet so exquisite I don't want to stop catching up. This abundance of emotions weaves seamlessly through the visual and metaphorical cues that lie between pairs of images. They speak about the universal feelings in life events. It can be the yearning for immortality through the fake flower or the sudden brain blankness after seeing the shattered window. It can also be that blue shade of Monday melancholy or pink shade of assurance. They also speak this overwhelming life for an individual who faces anxiety, uncertainty daily. They can be as light as a piece of mail or a portrait on the wall, yet they bring a sense of heaviness unrivaled by the heaviest cars.
This clash of the mesmerizing color and overwhelming feelings symbolize our life in some way. We are all suffering, but we hold onto that one or two beautiful things to carry it out. Car and life are the inseparable duos that enrich the life we live in.
To view more of Yuyang Zhang’s work please visit their website.