Ren Hang, "Untitled" (2015) Estate of Ren Hang/Blindspot Gallery

Text By Julian Lucas
February 18, 2021 12:49pm PST

This article was Produced by Mirrored Society, A Bookstore on the Arts. The Pomonan is co-publishing this review.

Ren Hang was born in 1987 in North East China’s Jilin. At the young adult age of 20, Ren Hang had been studying advertising but found himself uneasy at his studies. He began using a point-and-shoot camera and taking photos of his friends. “It was because, I was bored of advertising and in specific, I was bored of life.” His work became increasingly noticed, having exhibitions in various cities such as Hong Kong, Athens, Bangkok, New York, Paris,and Los Angeles. Living in Beijing at the time of his death, he was going to turn 30 years old.

Four years has passed since the death of acclaimed art photographer Ren Hang. When visiting Ampersand, an Art Bookstore located in Portland, OR, in 2014. New Love," lying next on the front table in the front window of the storefront, stood out with its not bright white cover enabling the natural color of the nude portrait within nature to pop out of the book. I would often look back about not buying the book at that time after a couple of months had elapsed. The best thing is that I ended up buying the last book in stock.

Ren Hang, "Untitled" (2015) Credit.Estate of Ren Hang/Blindspot Gallery

I had the opportunity attend his first exhibition in Los Angeles and and meet and chat a bit about his work in the summer of 2016. The exhibition entitled. “What We Do is Secret”. Ren Hang intuitively created moments audacious power using the nude in the face of censorship and social restraints. Hang's work, called one of today's most controversial photographers, can be considered freely frank, sensitive, stunning, humorous, and gruesome at the same time. Although the public demeanor of Hang underestimates any political meaning in his work, The carefully focused images of Hang might indicate otherwise. Under China's atmosphere of global, cultural and social upheaval, Hang's vision of contemporary youth serves as a clear argument for freedom of speech under all circumstances. While fortunate enough to meet the quiet and shy photographer Ren Hang. After getting Mr. Hang to open up, we spoke a bit about his poetry not really his practice as a photographer. We ended up having the most amusing conversation about his writings.

Ren Hang will always be remembered as one of the most creative photographers of our time.

Julian Lucas, is fine art and documentary photographer. Julian also works as a housing specialist which, includes linking homeless veterans to housing. Julian has lived in Chicago, Inglewood, Portland, and the suburbs of Los Angeles County including Pomona.