Singapore the intimate moment presents the works of Singaporean photographer Yian Huang at Galerie Steph in November this year. Yian’s works have been exhibited at the Palais du Louvre in Paris, the Singapore Art Museum and galleries in Russia, Italy and the USA; and published in The Economist, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated. Formerly based in New York and Paris, the intimate moment will be Yian’s homecoming exhibition in Singapore. On view will be a selection of Fine Art and Documentary works.
The intimate moment was inspired by Yian’s collaboration in Paris with a group of dancers from Studio Harmonic. Enthralled by their passion and commitment to their craft, the pictures reveal Yian’s ability to capture both the subtle gestures and the dramatic actions. It is through Yian’s innate ability to connect with his subjects in a sensitive and intimate manner that allows him to capture moments otherwise gone unnoticed. Visitors will be able to see the personal relationship between the photographer and the subject.
“My interest has always been in that nonverbal space where people communicate and connect. People can just be with each other sometimes and channel their emotions and intentions with gestures large or subtle. What I try to communicate with my photography is that idea,” Yian explains.
His artistic approach to his dance work has also informed his documentary photography, applying similar principles when photographing in less choreographed situations such as riots in Palestine. Yian’s passion for photojournalism has taken him to places such as the West Bank and Gaza, Uganda and Ethiopia, Cutud (Philippines), Tel Aviv (Israel) and La Rioja (Spain). It is his mission to document social conflicts and world issues through his prints and with the hope of bringing due attention to these topics.
Owner of Galerie Steph, Stephanie Tham, who worked with Yian to develop the exhibition, says, ”When I first saw Yian’s work, I instinctively knew this was an artist I wanted to show in my new gallery. His work on Fly For Me is simply beautiful and captivating. I love the way the dancers float and fly through the air – defying gravity – a huge feat for the dancers yet Yian’s technique makes it seem effortless.”
the intimate moment is curated by Lisa Botos.
About the Artist
Yian Huang was born in Singapore in 1973. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton Business School as well as a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Computer Science). He then pursued his Masters at Columbia University and graduated with a Master of Science in Journalism (New Media) and a Master of International Affairs.
It was Yian’s insatiable curiosity and sense of adventure that fuelled his interest in photojournalism. This led him to leave the comforts of corporate life and pursue his dream in photography. Since then, he has travelled to lessexplored destinations such as Uganda, Ethiopia, West Bank, Gaza, Cutud in the Philippines and La Rioja in Spain. His thoughtprovoking prints have nonetheless given a voice to his subjects that would otherwise been left unheard. It is through his pictures that he hopes to document social conflicts and world issues in a way that is more relatable to his audience.
In 2004, Yian won the L’Oreal Photography Competition in Paris which led to two pieces from his Fly For Me series being exhibited in the prestigious Palais du Louvre in Paris. He has also exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in major galleries including Schusev Museum of Architecture in Moscow, Galerie Speos in Paris, Splashlight Studios in New York and a travelling exhibition curated by Georgia Fiorio that went to Bordeaux, Bari and Venice.
Yian’s works have since been part of the corporate art collections of clients such as UOB, Standard Chartered Bank, Unilever, Capella Hotel, Restaurant FiftyThree and Actes Sud Publishing in France. His photos have also been published in The Economist, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and Tatler Magazine.
Yian has always been a passionate educator. He started teaching mathematics to underprivileged students in the U.S. and went on to teaching calculus at Wharton Business School. Yian returned to Singapore in 2010 and is now a mentor and teacher to many budding photographers. He has also recently been selected as a mentor for Noise Singapore, an initiative of the National Arts Council.
Yian has a few major projects in the pipeline. One of which is a conflict project in Somamiland, where he tries to show that peace is possible, even in places where they would seem impossible to do so. A second project is more lifestyle and traveloriented where he shoots in four locations – Bangkok, Marrakesh, Ethiopia and India.
He was also a competitive sailor, triathlete and conquered many famous peaks as an avid climber.
Yian is married to Social Entrepreneur and Founder of Art Bug, Jaelle Ang.
