Rose Tang

Rose Tang

Rose Tang, Shanghai 2006
Born Zheng Guoyang
May 1, 1967
Taipei
Nationality  People's Republic of China
Education Tunghai University (zh-tw: 東海大學, Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tang-hái Tāi-ha̍k)
Known for Electronic Art, Digital Art, New Media Art, Photography, Video Art

Rose Tang (Chinese: 唐罗丝; pinyin: Táng Luōsi) Mandarin: [tʰɑ̌ŋ lwɔ́sɨ] is the pseudonym of an ambiguously-gendered, semi-fictional, artistic personality based on Taiwanese-born architect, biologist and zoologist, Zheng Guoyang which is under the art direction of French-born founder of the island6 Arts Center, Thomas Charvériat. Over a hundred sculptures, photographs, LED works, and videos have been created and exhibited under Rose Tang's name since his conception in 2006.[1] Rose Tang is a pillar of the Shanghai art collective, Liu Dao.

Biography

Rose Tang's "biography" is a mesh of fact and fiction, mostly based on Zheng Guoyang's life and career. Like Zheng Guoyang, Rose Tang was born in Taiwan. His parents were born in Beijing but raised him in Taipei, putting him through strict schooling and training as a scientist. He graduated from Tunghai University (zh-tw: 東海大學, Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tang-hái Tāi-ha̍k). However, they could not keep the family's full-time photographer from becoming Tang's artistic mentor, and inspiring a life of courageous innovation in arts that fight to understand how Chinese family culture and shifting sociological values came together to shape modern sexual identities. Rose Tang currently lives and produces most of his art in Shanghai. [2] People claiming to be Rose Tang have at times appeared at exhibitions containing his work. Often it is a male dressed in women's clothing.

Work and notable exhibitions

Like his persona, most of the photographs in his portfolio are somewhat altered from reality.[3] Some are completely crafted of shapes cut from other photographs, while some remain close to their original states except with the face of Rose Tang (Zheng Guoyang) smoothly inserted onto one or more bodies using Photoshop and other morphologist software. The works under Rose Tang's name come from the notion of a Chinese artist searching for answers to questions of gender in the eyes of Chinese tradition, history, fact and fantasy. Rose Tang's 2010 exhibition at YK Art Space, "Roseless", curated by Zane Mellupe, was inaugurated by Latvian President Valdis Zatlers and attended by the Minister of Culture of Latvia Ints Dālderis as well as Xuhui District Mayor Guo Jianfei 过剑飞 .[4] Rose Tang is represented by island6 Arts Center in Shanghai.

Exhibitions

Year Title Venue Location
2010 "Roseless" Yongkang Lu Art Shanghai
2010 "Raining Stars" The Louis Vuitton Gallery Macau
2010 "Garden of Autumn Vapours" Red Gate Gallery Beijing, China
2010 "Absolute 0:00" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2010 "HK Artfair 2010" Hong Kong Art Fair, curated by Brian Wallace Hong Kong
2010 "Psychic Apparatus" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2010 "The Light Fantastic" Louis Vuitton Cultural Space, curated by Jonathan Thomson Taipei, Taiwan
2010 "Libido, Mortido" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2010 "Fakirs" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2009 "Placebo" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2009 "30 Degrees" island6 Arts Center and Studio Rouge Shanghai, China
2009 "Synesthesia" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2009 "The Artist Died Yesterday" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2008 "Automata" island6 Arts Center and ifa gallery Shanghai, China
2008 "Urban Lust" island6 Arts Center and ifa gallery Shanghai, China
2008 "Clouds of Crowds" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2008 "PlugIT" Blue Lotus Gallery Fotan, Hong-Kong
2008 "Made in Shanghai" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2008 "Made in China" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2007 "Eurasia One" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2007 "Nuit Blanche" (first Asian edition) Shanghai Exhibition Center Shanghai, China
2007 "Remote/Control" curated by Wenny Teo and Ella Liao Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, China
2007 "Bits, Bytes and Pixels" ifa gallery Shanghai, China
2006 "Forward/Backward and Reloading" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China
2006 "Invisible Layers, Electric Cities" island6 Arts Center Shanghai, China

See also

References

  1. Suri, Rajath (2008-05-01). "Rose Tang: Sexual Travesty". Retrieved 2010-03-25.
  2. "Rose Tang Bio". island6 Arts Center. 2006-08-10. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
  3. Moore and Moore Art (2008-06-11). "Artist Profile of Rose Tang". Retrieved 2010-03-24.
  4. Art in Asia. "Roseless". Retrieved 2010-11-02.