Fan Xiaoyan
Click on the logo to Read the New York Times article about Fan Xioyan's work
The sculptor, Fan Xiaoyan was born in 1983 in Gaomi. In 2008 she graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and now lives and works in Beijing.
Fan herself says that her work proclaims “the arrival of a new era, a new kind of human being, a new power, a new sensation... a surrealistic virtual world in which men and women are equal”. Certainly, the violent contrast between pink flesh and cold, hard steel in Fang’s works gives rise to an intense visual and psychological shock. The unbearability of enduring such heavy attachments gives rise to a kind of strength and sweetness.
“Despite the overtly fetishistic quality of the sculpture with its pronounced sadomasochistic overtones normally associated with male fantasy, it is the work of a woman. This gives rise to interesting cultural and sexual issues, raising questions as to whether men and women project differing significations onto a visual artifact. Is the comment "It would have a completely different meaning if it had been made by a man“ justifiable? Does an object retain distinct significance due to original intent or does it attain independence once released by its creator? Is an artifact endowed with meaning by the viewer or by the artist? Whatever the answers, this is a remarkable work of art which would be hard to ignore on any level.”
Dr. Arthur Hwang on Fan’s “Cyborg” sculpture.
Fan's works are made from stainless steel and all the “tools” and “weapons” are painstakingly crafted by hand without using any ready-made goods. Each of her works consists of only three editions.
Please click on the thumbnails above to view the larger version of each piece.