John Yuyi “My(Temporary)Self” exhibition at Make Room, Los Angeles

Make Room, a new gallery based in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, unveiled artist, JOHN YUYI’s first Los Angeles solo exhibition, “My(Temporary)Self“. Organized by curator, EMILIA YIN, the exhibition featured YUYI’s most recent photographic work of still life, collage, and portraiture. The motifs used in the photos are consistent with much the subject matter that has garnered the artist notoriety online—temporary tattoos inspired by internet culture such as icons, celebrities, text, which are affixed onto the people or everyday objects like ice, raw meat, etc.

The exhibition also explores some of the physical characteristics that proliferated YUYI’s internet fame. In one such photo, “Hair 1″, YUYI carefully places strands of her instantly recognizable blue hair across her body as a kind of self-awareness to the signifiers that perpetuate her popularity. The work overall is presented much like their predecessors—immediately captivating yet altogether fleeting with the passage of time and  changing of sensibilities.

“I have thought of this question before. Why would I do this? I think it’s just my daily observation. You can see this in artists from the Twenties or Eighties—their art reflects the time they are living in. What we are doing—a lot of artists, young artists—is just reflecting the world we’re living in right now.” — John Yuyi

JOHN YUYI is an artist that lives and works in New York City. A graduate of Fashion Design from Shih Chien University, her work has been exhibited in the US and internationally. Yuyi is known for her collaborative work with Gucci, Chanel and recently, Nike.

On view until April 22nd, 2018 at Make Room, 1035 N Broadway, Los Angeles.

Text Jason Wong, photo Johnny Le

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