Han Yajuan (born 1980), also spelled Han Ya Juan () is a Chinese contemporary artist (ä¸Âå½å½Â代èºæ¯, Zhongguo Dangdai Yishu). She currently lives and works in Beijing. Han Yajuan ranks seventh on the all-time list of artists who have grossed the most money at auction before their 30th birthday.
She was born in Qingdao, China, and studied art at the China Academy of Art. After the graduation, in 2004, she worked in College of Visual Art. In 2008 Yajuan obtained a master's degree at the Oil Painting Department of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing. Han Yajuan ranks seventh on the all-time list of artists who have grossed the most money at auction before their 30th birthday.
She had her first solo exhibition at China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China, in 1999. After that she took part in a number of exhibitions in China and abroad.
Yajuan belongs to the new Chinese painting movement. Her works have clear and occasionally ironic references to pop and ultra-contemporary culture. Han Yajuan is said to distance herself to some extent from the earlier social responsibility faced by traditional art, preferring a simple and direct style that portrays the light-hearted themes of young people's collective imagination, with a nod to the cartoons and cinema of the Cartoon Generation. The mainly female subjects whirl and dance, flying through the air in strong, contrasting colours; indifferent and ironical figures in a carefree world. As described by Blouin Artinfo, "Fascinated by fashion and celebrity culture, Han Ya JuanâÂÂs paintings are characterized by pixie girls who dance, fly, and dream as they clutch their Dior Handbags and flaunt their Fendi bracelets. While many Chinese artists would use these emblems as a means of criticizing Western influence on traditional China, Han Ya Juan celebrates the exuberance and fun they bring to a young and hopeful Chinese generation." According to Newsweek, Han Yajuan's figures, who have all the trappings of contemporary city girls: flashy cars, designer sunglasses and bulging shopping bags, âÂÂappear to live guilt-free lives of consumption, which the artist says embodies the dreams and aspirations of her generation.â "Han clearly shows empowered females that are benefiting from the economic boom," says, in Newsweek, Mila Bollansee, a curator based in Beijing. "Yet if her theme is that of a strong, independent woman, she's also fully aware that women in China are not on an equal footing with men. Her message is for each individual to take responsibility for him or herself in this new society." Some other observers note that for all their cuteness and flippant humor, these cartoonlike characters evoke a sense of loneliness, anxiety and spiritual emptiness. Karen Smith, a well-known Beijing art critic, believes the "me" generation is struggling with being single children who marry single children, overindulged by parents and in-laws but expected to one day support them.
Her work is regularly sold by leading international auction houses such as Christie's or Sotheby's.
Solo Exhibitions<br> 2016 "superlative," Longmen Arts Project, Shanghai, China<br> 2011 âÂÂIndulgence and Transcendence,â Klein Sun Gallery, New York, NY <br> 2009 âÂÂBling Bling,â Chinese Contemporary, New York, NY<br> 2008 âÂÂHerstory,â Marella Gallery, Beijing, China<br> 2008 âÂÂAngels from Hell,â Olyvia Oriental, London, UK<br> 2007 âÂÂTravel Alone,â Tokyo Gallery, Tokyo, Japan<br> 2007 âÂÂSelection of Dreams,â Willem Kerseboom Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland<br> 2007 âÂÂDelightful Escape,â Project B Contemporary Art, Milan, Italy<br> 2007 âÂÂBeautiful Plan,â TaiKang Top Space, Beijing, China<br> 2006 âÂÂMilkshakes,â Art Beatus, Hong Kong