Leonard Yang’s free and spontaneous use of abstract color and gesture elicit humanoid and animalistic forms, in his process of discovery while painting. The symbolism in his paintings beckons the myths, landscapes, cultural icons, and landmarks of his home region of Southeast Asia. As an immigrant artist currently based in New York City, his paintings delve into a personal journey of living with and resisting autocracy while expressing a deep longing for freedom and the pursuit of a more harmonized world. Vibrant colors convey a longing for a kinder and more connected world and reveal feelings that range from wonderment and joy to anxiety, fear, horror, and despair.
Leonard has been exhibited widely across the state of New York and abroad. Including in exhibitions at the Silvermine Gallery, Gallery MC, Bowery Gallery, Mizuma Gallery, The Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore (ICAS), and The Visual Arts Development Association (VADA) Singapore. Leonard graduated with an MFA from Parsons in 2019 and has held residencies at Millay Arts, NY, The Alex Brown Foundation, IA, and the Goethe Institute Indonesia.