REN HANG

A collection of works by Ren HANG, a leading Chinese photographer.

Published by German publisher TASCHEN in 2017, after the artist's death, this is a definitive monograph comprehensively featuring the works presented during his mere six-year active period.

Ren Hang's photographs feature naked friends in urban and natural settings, intertwining, repeating, and arranging bodies like sculptures. Composed of vibrant colors, flash, and simple compositions, his images, though seemingly provocative, possess a strange tranquility and humor.

In Chinese society, where "sex" is still taboo, Ren Hang continued to photograph the body as a natural sensation, rather than overtly emphasizing political statements or rebellion.

“I don’t really view my work as taboo. I just do what I do.”

As his own words suggest, his work is less about a will to cross boundaries and more about an act of candidly capturing his own sensations.

This book includes representative works, as well as works from his self-publishing era, fashion visuals, and numerous unreleased pieces. It allows one to trace the entirety of Ren Hang's influence, which significantly impacted photographic expression, fashion imagery, and gender perceptions from the 2010s onward.

[Title] Ren Hang
[Publisher] TASCHEN
[Publication Date] 2017
[Pages] 312 pages
[Size] Approx. 225×300mm / 2,021g
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] English
[Title Reading] REN HANG
[Author/Editor] Ren HANG / Author
[Printing] -
[ISBN] 9783836562072
[Condition] Used【7】Very Good (Slight dirt on back cover)
[Accessories] None
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibitions] -

Ren HANG (Ren Hang) 1987-2017

Born in Changchun, Jilin Province, China in 1987. Photographer, poet.

Began photography while in university. He gained international attention as a leading figure in contemporary Chinese photography by presenting works centered on the nude body, using friends and lovers as models.

Through a unique style characterized by strong flash, vivid colors, simple backgrounds, and the geometric composition of bodies, he lightly depicted themes of sex, intimacy, youth, anxiety, and solitude. Despite the provocative images, his gaze exudes a poetic tranquility rather than violence.

From 2011 onwards, he published numerous photo books, primarily self-published.
He also held exhibitions at international art museums such as Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, and Fotografiska.

He passed away in 2017 at the age of 29.
He continues to significantly influence contemporary photography, fashion visuals, and gender expression.

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