The late Ren Hang used the photographic medium to depict scenes of spontaneity, where the young naked subjects are staged in explicit poses. Ren carefully choreographed the compositional arrangement, iconic make-up (e.g. red lips and red finger nails) and mise-en-scène, all of which straddle between meticulous intentionality and momentary inspiration. Despite the playful and colourful scenes filled with young and beautiful bodies, his images portray human conditions filled with loneliness and vulnerability.
Ren was awarded the Outset | Unseen Exhibition Fund at Unseen, Amsterdam in 2016 and Third Terna Contemporary Art Award, Italy in 2010. Important solo exhibitions include “LOVE REN HANG” (Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, France, 2019), “Ren Hang” (Museum of Fine Art, Leipzig, Germany, 2017), “Naked/Nude” (Foam Fotografiemuseum, Netherlands, 2017) and “Human Love” (Fotografiska, Sweden); His selected group exhibitions included “Medium of Desire: An International Anthology of Photography and Video” (Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, USA, 2015), “Chinese Photography: Twentieth Century and Before” (Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, China, 2015), “Contemporary Photography in China 2009-2014” (Minsheng Art Museum, China, 2014), “Curated by RongRong: Inner Ear” (Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, China, 2011), and Rencontres d’Arles Festival (France, 2011)
Ren’s works is collected by National Gallery of Australia and White Rabbit Contemporary Chinese Art Collection (Australia), CAFA Art Museum and Three Shadows Photography Art Centre (China), Kansas State University Art Museum (USA), and Multimedia Art Museum (Russia).
Ren died in Beijing, China in 2017.
