BIO

Yanmei Jiang was born in Guangzhou, China. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in China in 2010 and completed her MFA at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York in 2023. She is currently based in New York.

Yanmei began her artistic journey with photography in China and gained recognition for her series Me and Me, which received the 2016 Taipei Photo New Talent Award and the 2015 Xitek EOS New Talent Award. Her work has been collected by institutions such as the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation in Germany and the Chengdu Contemporary Image Museum in China. In 2021, Me and Me was featured in the book ABOUT US: Young Photography in China by Hirmer Publishers.

Her photographic work has been exhibited in group shows across France, Denmark, Japan, China, the United States, and the UK, and has been featured in publications including IMA Magazine, LensCulture, Tencent, and VICE China.

In 2021, Yanmei expanded her practice to include painting and installation. Her recent work has been shown in New York at venues such as LatchKey Gallery, VillageOneArt Gallery, and ChaShaMa (2023). In 2025, she participated in the AnkhLave Art Residency on Governors Island in New York.

Statement

I am a Chinese-born visual artist based in New York. My media include painting, installation, performance and photography. 

My first recognized work is a photography series titled ‘Me and Me,’ which explores self-exploration within intimate relationships in China. I use the bodies to blur the lines between masculinity and femininity, reflecting my inner struggles and questioning traditional roles.

Currently, my practice focuses on expressing conflicting energy and finding balance between the inner self and the surrounding environment. Growing up in a traditional Asian culture, I often experienced emotional conflict in my life. From history to present, from personal to collective, these insatiable emotions and energy are hidden in the painting through contrasting colors and interwoven strokes. My work is also inspired by Asia philosophy of balance and Western abstract painting.

My recent work is trying to expand from two-dimensional painting to spatial installations and performances. I see art as a way to reconnect with the self, others, and the world through conflict and poetic presence.

CV

Education

• 2021-2023, Master of Fine Arts, School of Visual Arts, New York, USA
• 2006-2010, Bachelor of International Journalism, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China

Awards and Honors

• 2016, Taipei Photo New Talent Award, Taiwan China.
• 2016, Dummy Award Kassel, Shortlist, Germany.
• 2016, Three Shadows Photography Award, Shortlist, China.
• 2015, Xitek EOS New Talent Award, China.

Residency

• 2025, AnkhLave Art Residency on Governors Island, New York.
• 2023, ChaShaMa Exhibition Residency, New York.

Collections

• 2020, Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation, Germany.
• 2020, Chengdu Contemporary Image Museum, China.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions:

• 2017, Me and Me, Ray Art Center, Shanghai, China.
• 2016, Me and Me, the 12th Lianzhou International Photo Festival, Lianzhou, China.

Group exhibitions:

• 2025, Performance, Blue Line: A Journey of Reawakening, AnkhLava Art Residency on Governors Island, New York, US.
• 2025, ‘The Journey’—Annual exhibition of Hot Water Cool Art, New York, US.
• 2024, Art Groove Art Show, New York, US.
• 2024, Welcome to the Wonderland, CP Project Space, New York, US.
• 2023, Playground and Dreams, ChaShaMa Gallery, New York, US.
• 2023, Idylls & Reveries, VillageOneArt Gallery, New York, US.
• 2023, Cement, TaiL of A Gecko, Temple Gallery & Tutu Gallery, New York, US.
• 2023, Echo Box, Latchkey Gallery, New York, US.
• 2023, Stockwell Collective, Boston, US.
• 2021, Wild Horses’, Sim Smith Gallery, London, UK.
• 2018, 17th DongGang International Photo Festival, DongGang, Korea.
• 2017, Les Rencontres De La Photographie, Arles, France.
• 2017, LensCulture Winter Exhibition, online.
• 2017, Photography Handmade Book, Lishui Photography Festival, Lishui, China.
• 2017,  The Port and the Image Project: Documenting China’s Harbor Cities, China Port Museum, China.
• 2017, The 2nd Ningbo International Photography Week, Ningbo, China.
• 2017, La Maison de Z “Made In China”, Arles, France.
• 2017, Record Keeping- Invitation Exhibition of International Photography at Xi’an, Xi’an, China.
• 2016, Shanghai Photofair, Shanghai, China.
• 2016, Taipei Photo Festival, Taipei, Taiwan China.
• 2016, Xitek New Talent Award, Shanghai PHOTOFAIRS, Shanghai, China.
• 2016, The 8th Fotobook Festival Kassel, Germany / Beijing, China.Fotoleggendo, Rome, Italy; PhotoIreland, Dublin, Ireland; Fotogalleriet, Oslo, Norway; Organ Vida Festival, Zagreb, Croatia; Month of Photography Festival, Bratislava, Slovakia; Encontros da Imagem, Braga, Portugal; Photobook Week, Aarhus, Denmark; Format Festival, Derby, UK.
• 2016, The 8th Three Shadows Photography Award, Beijing/Xiamen, China.
• 2015, Gucang Dummy Award Martin Parr Edition, Lianzhou International Photo Festival, Lianzhou, China.
• 2015, CONNECT: A Curated Group Exhibition of LensCulture Network Photographers.
• 2015, The 17th Lishui Photography Festival, Lishui, China.
• 2015, @Daily Snapshot, the 15th Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China.
• 2013, En Ning, The Fence, Volume: Birmingham’s Art, Book, & Print Fair, Birmingham, UK.
• 2013, The 15th Lishui Photography Festival, Lishui, China.
• 2013, From Print to Publishing: The Changing Role of the Book in China and the UK, Chinese Arts Center, Manchester, UK.
• 2012, Times Museum Community Art Festival, Guangzhou, China.
• 2012, Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, Japan.
• 2012, Caochangdi Photo Spring, Beijing, China.

Publications

• ABOUT US. Young Photography in China

Publisher: Hirmer Publishers, Munich

ISBN 978-3-7774-3656-2

Date: 2021

Artists: Adou / Birdhead / Cai Dongdong / Cao Fei / Chen Ronghui / Chen Wei / Chen Wenjun & Jiang Yanmei / Cheng Alex Huanfa / Fan Ye / Gao Bo / Gao Mingxi / Jiang Pengyi / Jiang Zhi / Li Yang / Liang Xiu / Liao Pixy / Liu Ke & Huang Huang / Liu Rachel / Liu Tao / Luo Yang / Mo Yi / Mu Ge / Ren Hang / Rong Rong / Rong Rong & Inri / Shen Wei / Shi Yangkun / Sun Yanchu / Wang Bing / Wang Ningde / Wei Bi / Wen Fang / Weng Fen/ Yang Fudong / Yin Xiuzhen / Zhang Huan / Zhang Kechun / Zhang Xiao;

• The Port and The Image: Documenting China’s Harbor Cities

Published by Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House

ISBN 978-7-5535-0889-4

Date: 2017

Photographers: Chen Wenjun & Jiang Yanmei, Huang Zhengwei, Li Chaoyu, Xu Hao, Yang Yuanyuan, Zheng Chuan, Zhu Lanqing

Publish

IMA Magazine, Lens Culture, Tencent·To Live, Artco China Magazine, Chip Foto Video Magazine, Citizine Magazine, New Weekly Magazine, Marie Claire the Magazine, Chinese Entrepreneur Magazine, Economic Weekly Magazine, Blog Weekly Magazine, CBN Weekly Magazine, Portrait Magazine, South Reviews Magazine, People‘s Photography, VICE China, Yogurt Magazine, Edge of Humanity Magazine, Tencent News, Netease News, Sina News, Artron Network, The Paper Network, China Photographers Association Network and other publications.

Workshops

2013, One of the mentors of a photography book workshop, Lishui International Photography Festival, Lishui, China.

2013, Held a handmade photography book workshop at Fei Gallery, Guangzhou, China.

2012, Held a Self-publishing book workshop, Times Museum Community Art Festival, Guangzhou, China.

Talks

2016, Me in Private Images—From Life Struggles to Social Realities, Ray Art Center, Shanghai, China.

Shows

AnkhLave Art Residency on Governors Island, 2025

Performance (Blue Line: A Journey of Reawakening)

Group show, The Journey, New York, US, 2025

Group show, Art Groove, New York, US, 2024

ChaShaMa Residency, a group show Playground and Dreams at ChaShaMa Gallery, New York, US, 2023. ↓

Group shows Idylls & Reveries, VillageOneArt Gallery, New York, US, 2023. ↓

Group shows Echo Box, Latchkey Gallery, New York, USA, 2023.↓

Group show, Wild Horse, SIM-SMITH Gallery, London, England, 2021

Group show, Donggang International Photo Festival, Donggang, Korea, 2018

Group show, The Port and The Image: Documenting China’s Harbor Cities, China Port Museum, Ningbo, China, 2017

Group show, Taipei Photo New Talent Award, Taipei, 2016

Group show, XITEK New Talent Award exhibition, Shanghai, China, 2016

Group show, Three Shadow Photography Award, Three Shadow Art Center, Beijing, China, 2016

Solo show, Me and Me, Ray Art Center, Shanghai, China, 2016