Hé Hé (Harmony and Union)
和合

和合 Hé Hé
30×30×45cm, 35×30×60cm
聚丙交酯
2023, PLA

In Hé Hé (Harmony and Union) (2023), sculptures of spermatic ribbons incarnate the homosocial friendship of Hanshan (Cold Mountain) and Shide (Foundling). Though lowly Chan Buddhist monks, this semi-mythical and gigglesome couple emblematize affection that transcends heteronormative desire. Yang aptly immortalizes their warmhearted essence as parerga, auratic traces of ciphered kinship.

Qing Dynasty under Emperor Yongzheng’s reign (1722 - 1735), Han Shan and Shi De, revered poet-monks of the Tang Dynasty, were celebrated as a harmonious pair. Legend depicts them as fraternal figures, monks who sacrificed personal love for each other’s sake. These depictions adorn wedding ceremonies, symbolizing enduring unity and happiness. Yang’s artwork captures the essence of these immortals, their ribbon belts fluttering in the wind, emphasizing the gestures of iconography and symbolism, and the significance of friendship transcending desire.

Installation view SYMPOSIUM at Netzwerk Seilerei in Frankfurt am Main

Photo by Ian Waelder

和合 Hé Hé
30×30×45cm, 35×30×60cm
聚丙交酯
2023, PLA