Yuan Fang’s work is often large in scale and entirely abstract, characterised by lyrical and massive swirls of paint. These energetic marks are geological in their feel, tied to notions of the body, landscape, space, and time. Fang describes these amorphous forms as distorted human bodies, and she builds them up on her canvas improvisationally, without using preparatory sketches or studies. This fluid yet intense way of working allows for unexpected discoveries and risk-taking that is important to Fang’s process.
Yuan Fang was born in Shenzhen, China, in 1996. She has already received numerous accolades and has participated in multiple solo and group shows around the world. In 2024, she was chosen for the 30 under 30 list by Forbes Asia and became the youngest artist to ever receive a solo exhibition at the Long Museum with her show, Flux. Other recent gallery exhibitions include Skarstedt, Chelsea (2025); Skarstedt, London (2024); Half Gallery, New York (2023); Prince & Wooster, New York (2022) and Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China (2021). Her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami; Lafayette Anticipations, Paris; the FLAG Art Foundation, New York; Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan; Inima de Paula Museum, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; and the Long Museum, Shanghai, China, among others.