Bio and Statement

Yanmei Jiang (b:1986) is from Guangzhou China, and currently lives and works in New York.

Growing up in a traditional Chinese family, Yanmei often questioned her identity and felt disconnected from her environment. Art became her way to self-exploration and liberation. Influenced by China’s patriarchal culture and diverse cultural experiences, her art reinterprets gender identity.

She explored me through the photography work “Me and Me,” a self-portrait series on relationships. Moving to New York, she confronted childhood traumas and realized shared struggles among women globally. This prompted a shift to painting and installations, focusing on spiritual expression. Her painting series fosters self-love and conveys freedom and female energy, nurturing love in her life.

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

  • 2023, ChaShaMa residency, New York City, USA
  • 2016, Taipei Photo Emerging Talent Award, Taiwan China.
  • 2016, Dummy Award Kassel, Shortlist, Germany.
  • 2016, Three Shadows Photography Award, Shortlist, China.
  • 2015, Xitek EOS New Talent Award, China.

Collections

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

Exhibitions

  • 2024, Group Exhibition, Art Groove Art Show, New York, USA
  • 2024, Group Exhibition, Welcome to the Wonderland, CP Project Space, New York, USA
  • 2023, Group Exhibition, Playground and Dreams, ChaShaMa Gallery, New York, USA
  • 2023, Group Exhibition, Idylls & Reveries, VillageOneArt Gallery, New York, USA
  • 2023, Group Exhibition, Cement, TaiL of A Gecko, Temple Gallery & Tutu Gallery, New York, USA.
  • 2023, Group Exhibition, Echo Box, Latchkey Gallery, New York, USA.
  • 2023, Group Exhibition, Stockwell Collective, Boston, USA.
  • 2021, Group Exhibition, Wild Horses’, Sim Smith Gallery, London, English.
  • 2018, Group Exhibition, The Family of No Man, Arles Cosmos, Arles, France.
  • 2018, Group Exhibition, 17th DongGang International Photo Festival, DongGang, Korea.
  • 2017, Group Exhibition, LensCulture Winter Exhibition, online.
  • 2017, Group Exhibition, Photography Handmade Book, Lishui Photography Festival, Lishui, China.
  • 2017, Solo Exhibition, Me and Me, Ray Art Center, Shanghai, China.
  • 2017, Group Exhibition, The Port and the Image Project: Documenting China’s Harbor Cities, China Port Museum, China.
  • 2017, Group Exhibition, 2nd Ningbo International Photography Week, Ningbo, China.
  • 2017, Group Exhibition, La Maison de Z “Made In China”, Arles, France.
  • 2017, Group Exhibition, Record Keeping-Invitation Exhibition of International Photography at Xi’an, Xi’an, China.
  • 2016, Group Exhibition, Lianzhou Foto Festival, Lianzhou, China.
  • 2016, Group Exhibition, Taipei Photo Festival, Taipei, Taiwan China.
  • 2016, Group Exhibition, Xitek New Talent Award, PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai, China.
  • 2016, Group Exhibition, 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, Group Exhibition, Three Shadows Photography Award, Beijing/Xiamen, China.
  • 2015, Group Exhibition, Gucang Dummy Award Martin Parr Edition, Lanzhou Foto Festival, Lanzhou, China.
  • 2015, Group Exhibition, CONNECT: A Curated Group Exhibition of LensCulture Network Photographers.
  • 2015, Group Exhibition, Lishui Photography Festival, Lishui, China.
  • 2015, @Daily Snapshot, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China.
  • 2013, Group Exhibition, En Ning, The Fence, Volume: Birmingham’s Art, Book, & Print Fair, Birmingham, UK.
  • 2013, Group Exhibition, Lishui Photography Festival, Lishui, China.
  • 2013, Group Exhibition, From Print to Publishing: The Changing Role of the Book in China and the UK, Chinese Arts Center, Manchester, UK.
  • 2012, Group Exhibition, Times Museum Community Art Festival, Guangzhou, China.
  • 2012, Group Exhibition, Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, Japan.
  • 2012, Group Exhibition, Caochangdi Photo Spring, Beijing, China.

Publications

  • Book: ABOUT US. Young Photography in China

        (Yanmei Jiang is one of the artists in the book.)

Publisher: Hirmer Publishers, Munich Eva-Maria Fahrner-Tutsek and Petra Giloy-Hirtz. With essays by Eva-Maria Fahrner-Tutsek, Petra Giloy-Hirtz, Marine Cabos-Brullé, and Karen Smith

Date of publication: 2021

Language: English

296 pages, 239 color illustrations

Hardcover

25 × 30 cm

ISBN 978-3-7774-3656-2

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

        (Yanmei Jiang is one of the artists in the book.)

240 pages

25 cm x 20.5 cm

Edition of 800

Organized by He Yining

Designed by Jiazazhi Press in 2017

Published by Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House

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 handmade book workshop, Lishui Photography Festival, Lishui, China.

2013, Held a handmade 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.

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