Yolanda He Yang
My practice is rooted in evoking the sensitivities of space. Shaped by the schools, homes, playgrounds, and objects passed down through my family, as well as the smells of Chinese food from my birthplace in North China, my work is deeply influenced by personal and locational identity.
I synthesize photography, body movement, performance, video, and sculpture to explore the emotional and spatial dimensions of displacement and belonging. As a ‘hidden child’ during China’s one-child policy, my work ruptures boundaries between time, space, and meaning, advocating for resilience and the delicate possibilities found in fugitivity.
Through subtle arrangements of objects and participatory performances, I invite viewers to reconsider the politics of space and the body. My project, itchy grief, for example, fosters collective dialogue around grief and loss within immigrant communities, reflecting my commitment to preserving cultural identity and engaging with communities across borders.
Featured in:
Yolanda He Yang is an installation and performance artist. Born in a Catholic family in North China, Yolanda relocated to various places that she remembers as homes, schools, and playgrounds from when she was a child. Her work has been exhibited around the world, including Brookline Arts Center, Vox Populi in Philadelphia, Artists Studio in Cairo, MG Space in Beijing, Flux Factory in New York, etc. As a recently awarded 2025 MassCreative fellow, she continues to lead Behind VA Shadows. She holds an MS in Arts Administration (2021) and an MFA in Sculpture (2024) from Boston University.
