Artist Statement
Experimental Relationship (2007- Now)
As a woman brought up in China, I used to think I could only love someone who is older and more mature than me, who can be my protector and mentor. Then I met my current boyfriend, Moro, who is 5 years younger than me, I felt that whole concept of relationships changed, all the way around. I became the person who has more authority & power. One of my male friends even questioned how I could choose a boyfriend the way a man would choose a girlfriend. And I thought, "Damn right. That’s exactly what I’m doing, & why not!"
I started to experiment with this relationship. I would setup all kinds of situations for Moro and I to perform in the photos. By exploring the alternative possiblities of man and woman relationship, these photos question what is the norm of a heterosexual relationships, what will happen if man & woman exchange their roles of sex & roles of power. And partly because my boyfriend is Japanese, and I am Chinese, this project also describes a love and hate relationship.
Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Yijun Liao is an artist currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.
She is a recipient of En Foco's New Works Photography Fellowship and was a winner of Flash Forward Award (Canada) in 2011, CPW Photography Now 2009, and Hey, Hot Shot in 2008. She was also a Honorable Mentionee of New York Photo Awards 2009 at New York Photo Festival and a finalist of ITS Photo Award (Italy).
Liao is currently doing a studio residency at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and will do a darkroom residency at Camera Club of New York in the end of 2013. She has done artist residency at Woodstock AIR program in 2010.
Liao’s photographs have been exhibited internationally, including NordArt (Germany), kunst licht Gallery (China), Arario Gallery (NY), VT Artsalon (Taiwan), The Running Horse Contemporary Art Space (Lebanon), Pingyao International Photography Fest (China), Lianzhou International Photography Fest (China), etc,.
Liao holds a MFA in photography from University of Memphis.
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