YAO CHENGYU 姚承語
Chengyu Yao (b.2002) was born in Zhejiang, China, and is currently studying at Goldsmiths in London for her undergraduate degree in Fine Art. Chengyu Yao's work focuses on marginalised groups and mysticism, using her own experiences as a starting point to connect with all kinds of forgotten people, events, and objects, Chengyu Yao explores and expresses the voices and stories that have been neglected or forgotten by the society through her art practice. With her unique visual language and profound ideological connotation, she reflects her concern for the marginalised groups in society and her exploration of mysticism. Her works are both visually striking and emotionally deep, provoking the viewer to reflect on and empathise with the real world.
Chengyu Yao's artistic creations not only demonstrate her mastery of the medium, but also reflect her keen insight into social issues and human emotions. In the process of exploring herself and the world, she has gradually developed a unique artistic style and voice. Her works demonstrate her concern for the marginalised and her unique perspective on mysticism, which has brought her to the forefront of the contemporary art world. Chengyu Yao's practice continues to lead the viewer into a visual world full of reflection and perception.
EXHIBITIONS
2025 Print It! 2025, The Mill Gallery, Leeds, GB
100X100 VIRTUAL EXHIBITION, BobCat Gallery, London, GB
Harmonia Exhibition, Echos Studio, Sao Paulo, BR
12th Community Art Exhibition, Circular ArtSpace, Bristol, GB
Light in the Dark, Bobcat Gallery, London, GB
2024 Meaningless & Meaningful, Studio Home Awareness, Milan, IT
Secret Salon: Electric Ladyland, Chislehurst Caves, London, GB
Group Art Exhibition: SMALL WORKS, Fox Yard Studio, Stowmarket, GB
The Apple Paradox: Desire and Decay, The Split Gallery, London, GB
Her, Ben Pimlott Building, London, GB
HIDDEN, The House of Smalls Art Gallery, Edinburgh, GB
ABSTRACTED, Meta Space Gallery, Liverpool, GB
Reflection Group Exhibition, Open Gallery, Halifax, GB
22nd Community Art Exhibition in Vitual Reality, Circular Artspace, Bristol, GB
Phantasmal Film Festival, Phantasmal Gallery, GB
Time: The Passage of Time and Cycles of Life, Cista Arts, London, GB
Love Letter, Laurie Grove Baths, London，GB
Mystical Art Exhibition, Fox Yard Studio, Stowmarket, GB
Inside Out, Omi Gallery, London, GB
Inside the Cradle, Outside the Cradle, Shangzun Gallery, Beijing, CHN
2024 Kyoto Horizons International Art Exhibition, Kyoto International Art Center, Kyoto, JP
Unforeseeable Sense, The Crypt Gallery, London, GB
2023 IYAC Kyoto Intercational Art Exchange Exhibition, Kyoto International Community House, Kyoto, JP
Boundless Borders, Marginalized Voices: A Manifesto, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, FR
2022 Snow of June, Ben Pimlott Building, London, GB
Sleepless Elysium, Venice Arsenale, Venice, IT
MINIMAL. SIGNS AND FORMS OF THE ESSENTIAL, Loosenart Gallery, Rome, IT
Goldsmiths Fine Art Extension Degree Show, 1 St Jame's, London, GB
Infinite Finiteness, RESTART International Contemporary Art Exhibition, RESTART SPACE, Hangzhou, CHN
2020 Two Wave-particle Duality, Light Gallery, Hangzhou, CHN
2019 Unpredictable, Global Art & Music & Space, Musée l’Amour, Hangzhou, CHN
PRESS
2025 Wiro Mag: Aqua, 1st Edition, Pp. 16-17, SU4IP, Sheffield, GB
Melting Moments: Chengyu Yao and the Resonance of "Her", Peoplearts.cn, 25/1/2025
2024 Her, Illustrated Book, London, GB
Abstracted, Material Issue 5, Pp. 38-42, Meta Space Gallery, London, GB
Winter Issue, Seasonal Edition/ Volume 56, Pp. 30-34, Collect Art, Tbilisi, GEO
Chengyu Yao and "Urban Orphans": The Dilemma of Identity, the Boundaries of Media and the Tension of Healing, Art China, 28/11/2024
2023 Relationship II, Graphic Book, London, GB
Relationship I, Graphic Book, London, GB
Invisible Pain: Chengyu Yao's Artistic Intervention and Deconstruction of Reality, Artron.net, 13/01/2023
OTHER APPEARANCES
2025 BITTER LUCKY DINNER PARTY, CLAIRE MAKHLOUF CARTER in conversation with ELIZABETH PRICE, Steam Works Gallery, London, GB
DEMO BITTER MEETING ROOM, Steam Works Gallery, London, GB
2024 37th Wudu Music Festival: Winter Descent, Fudan University, Shanghai, CHN
2022 Sleepless Elysium: Art Talk, Online Panel Discussion, Venice, IT
Special Prize Winner, Global Talent Art Prize, USA
EDUCATION
2022 - 2025 Goldsmiths, University of London, BA (Hons) Fine Art
2021 - 2022 Goldsmiths, University of London, BA (Hons) Fine Art (Extension Degree)
ARTIST STATEMENT
In my field of artistic exploration, traumatic experiences and paranormal experiences are the basis for my creation of alternative worlds. My creative practice encompasses cross-media applications including installation, video and painting. I invite the viewer to plunge into a new world that is full of contradictions and provocations. Through my work, I aim to construct a space full of opposing elements where trauma and the paranormal intersect, challenging the viewer's understanding of reality and perception. My artistic practice is not only an expression of personal experiences, but also an exploration of the deeper layers of human emotions and psychology. Viewers will find a latent tension and mystery in my work, prompting them to rethink the hidden corners and unanswered questions of everyday life.