Yuan Fang Faces Illness with Quiet Power in 'Spaying'
Emotive works that draw from Fang’s recent breast cancer diagnosis.
Summary
- Yuan Fang reflects on illness and identity through abstract forms and negative space in ‘Spaying’
- Personal experience and emotional tension drive each painting
Skarstedt Chelsea presents ‘Spaying’, Yuan Fang’s second solo exhibition with the gallery. The show draws from Fang’s recent breast cancer diagnosis, using painting to reflect on illness, identity, and the complexity of womanhood. Alongside large-scale canvases, she introduces smaller, intimate works she calls “subplots,” fragments of a broader personal story.
The title points to both her medical experience and the physical act of cutting, a key part of her process. Through layering, erasure, and refinement, Fang reveals dominant abstract forms that resemble torsos. These central figures carry a strong, bodily presence, confronting the viewer with emotional intensity.
Inspired by traditional Chinese painting, Fang uses negative space to highlight what remains. Her slower, more thoughtful approach results in focused, deliberate compositions. Some works incorporate her medical imaging, like in ‘Accumulating, Breaking Through the Defense Line’, while others reflect emotional pressure and fatigue.
Altogether, ‘Spaying’ expands Fang’s exploration of femininity and resilience, offering moments of clarity and self-possession. The show will launch on September 4 to coincide with the Armory and Independent fairs.
Skarstedt
547 W 25th St.
New York, NY 10001
