Ren Hang was a photographer and a poet. He left us today at the age of 29. His images are provocative, very distant from common morality that still govern the highly conservative Chinese society.  He was a successful example of a generation that speaks another language, or at least tries to invent one that fits their lifestyle in the midst of imposed standards. His work was often censored. He suffered of a long depression that it seems brought him to suicide in his Berlinese apartment.

We like to remember him for his art, and for the evocative beauty of his images.
Sexuality, identity and the body, as well as love, longing and death are subjects in Ren Hang’s photography and poems. Everything is spontaneous and natural, there is no the construction, but only desire to create continuously. Ren Hang’s work most of all engages in queer issues and seems primarily to want to break through the taboos surrounding the body and the sexes.

R.I.P.

This is an extract from the interview of Mirjam Kooiman, curator of the Ren Hung’s solo exhibition Naked/Nude at Foam 3h Gallery in collaboration with the gallery STIEGLITZ 19 of Anversa until 12th of March 2017. The full article will be published on Collectible DRY paper issue #3 next week.