A sense of self discovery can come to an artist at any age. But for shy Ruby Leyi Yang, she did not consider art an actual passion or career choice until college! She says, “I never really viewed myself as an artist. I view drawing as a way to express my feelings at a very young age.”
Using art as her voice, her paintings were like diary entries and peaks into her life at the time. Once she truly discovered her talent with the incredible interdisciplinary environment at Bard College, she understood so much more about her own art.
“My mentor brought my interest from analytical philosophy to aesthetic philosophy. And I took a few art courses there too. But the concept of art was still abstract to me.” She transferred to the Art Institute of Chicago, and blossomed as an individual, and an artist. “Chicago opened a new world to me. It not only taught me technical skills but also helped me to form my own view on art through critical thinking.”
After graduating in Chicago, Yang moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams. With several exhibitions and features in many galleries across the country under her belt, Yang’s success as an artist comes from the quality behind it. Described as “poetic, mixed media, language, fragmented, humor, dark, void, feelings, life experiences,” and more, she uses bright colors and abstract designs to both portray an image to the viewer and allow them to come to their subjective truths about the work.
Yang really drove home the theme of subjective art with her latest exhibition “Narcissist Echo”. The name comes from a Greek myth “Metamorphosis” by Ovid. The show is about some thought of love – Something you did you thought was romantic maybe it was just a narcissist echo. The exhibition uses mirror fragmented pieces, a collaboration with other artists, that features fictional stories on them. This allows for viewers to make their own story, in a way that relates to them. “I wish through fragmented words and reflections from the mirrors; people can connect some experiences about their life,” said Yang.
The exhibition also has installations of cinder blocks, engraved pebbles, and chains. There is an exhibition statement written by an Artificial Intelligence Writing Machine that is incredibly innovative and focuses on the theme of fictional stories. Yang’s paintings will also be present at the exhibition, which is very personal for the artist and viewer. “I think painting itself is a bridge that connects me to the viewers. I view this reality as a fictional reality. Making this body of work is also a self-reflection about love.”
The entire exhibition is incredibly personal and beautiful, in so many ways. Though, Yang is only just beginning her incredible art career. “ My career has just started. And I tried to keep myself active as an emerging artist, “ she said. She continues with her favorite part of the process, “ I think my favorite moments would be when people see my works and they come to me and tell me they feel something.”
To see more of Yangs work visit http://www.leyi-yang.com/pageme
