Yu Hong: Islands of the Mind

Inspired by the iconic Symbolist series by Arnold Böcklin, Yu Hong creates contemporary mournful islands of her own

Chinese painter Yu Hong (born 1966) constructs modern-day fables and complex, allegorical compositions that channel historical, narrative-driven art as seen through a fiercely contemporary lens. Her newest series is inspired by the elegiac funeral depicted in Island of the Dead (1880–1901), the most famous work of Swiss Symbolist painter Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901). Each painting by Yu features figures on a solitary island beset by crashing waves. Each entry represents a different emotion, underpinned by dread, until the viewer is able to, in Böcklin’s words, "dream into the world of dark shadows." This body of work expands on the large, dramatic scenes Yu exhibited as part of Another One Bites the Dust, her first major solo exhibition that occurred during the Venice Biennale, characterized by their grandiose, often grotesque depictions of contemporary social anxieties.