
The Munchies Art Club is thrilled to share with you the work of the contemporary artist Yongqi Tang.
Yongqi was born in China and in 1997 attended the University of Washington and received a B.A. in painting and drawing in 2019 and an M.F.A in 2022.
She is the recipient of the Bernie Funk Artist Scholarship, Boyer and Elizabeth Bole Gonzales Scholarship for Excellence, and the Puget Sound Group of Northwest Artists Scholarship Award.
She also was artist in residence at the Field Projects Gallery, NY.
At first, I wasn’t planning to become an artist.
I have been into art since very young but I didn’t decide to make it my career when I chose my schools.
Psychology is somewhere between humanity which I am more interested in, and science, which could make more money.
I wanted to become a psychologist, but later I am naturally drawn to the art because that is what I am always excited about.
Later, I think I need to be honest with myself, so I proceeded with my MFA degree.
Yes, they are very supportive! I am the only artist in my family, they don’t understand art but they try to support me.
I am very grateful for that.
This painting is the last painting I made for my graduation show. When I started the project, I was very interested in multiple-figure narratives, not only because they are very challenging, but also because of their relationship to the films.
My practice has been strongly influenced by the movies I have watched.
This painting, for example, pays homage to Ang Li’s film Eat Drink Man Woman and the Wedding Banquet. (The title is a direct quote!)
Sometimes I was inspired by the visual aspects of the films, and sometimes I drew inferences from the ideas and emotions the films revealed.
I recently relocated to a new studio with two of my friends.
When I was in MFA, I would go to my studio every day and stay for around six hours, usually 12:00pm-6:00pm.
I like to listen to philosophy and art podcasts when I work.
Instagram is the main platform to show my art and connect with other artists.
I have found a lot of opportunities on Instagram, such as residencies, grants, and open calls.
Sometimes a feature on the accounts with more followers would bring me more opportunities, and I get to know more about the contemporary art scene on Instagram too.
Visit her website too @ Yongqi Tang
A big thank you to Yongqi for sharing her work and her story with us and our viewers!