In his series, Chinese Landscapes, Beijing-based photographer and artist Huang Yan emulated traditional painting styles from the Song Dynasty on the human body. By using the human body as a canvas, Huang has reinterpreted a traditional practice and reinforced Taoist concepts that imply a sense of harmony between man and his environment.

Huang Yan was born in 1966, in a Chinese city of rich Shan-shui landscape - Jilin. Rooted in traditional Chinese literati paintings, he puts writing brushes, ink sticks, paper and ink-stones, the carriers of traditional Chinese painting, into a contemporary transformation. With the appropriations of multi-media such as classic Shan-shui patterns on human bodies, photographs and canvases Shan-shui landscapes are shown. In addition literati figures, flower & bird paintings are his treatment of human civilizations in the East and the West and a model of reshaping the spiritual homeland of mankind in the 21st century. Not only by continuing traditional Chinese painting spirit, but also exploring the evolution of Chinese literati painting styles, his artistic approach is based on his strong recognition of his own cultural identity. In this way, Huang Yan’s works redefine traditional literati art in a contemporary context. (via Leo Gallery)