Yan-Xuan Ke
In my work, apes and monkeys are not merely animal figures — they represent a kind of existence "between human and beast." They possess both spirituality and cunning, yet simultaneously carry absurdity and playfulness, much like the contradictions inherent in humanity itself: forever reaching toward the towers of civilization while remaining mired in instinctual desire. They have become metaphors through which I project human nature, and wandering symbols of thought within the pictorial space.
Decorative details are another language of "excess." Through complexity, glitter, and layering, they challenge the viewer's patience while simulating the landscape of modern society — one ceaselessly filled with signs, desires, and media. Each decorative element is at once a filling of space and an interrogation of existence: when an image becomes too ornate, can we still perceive its essence?
My work seeks to construct a realm that exists between dream and reality, between the absurd and the sacred. Within it, the monkey is both a figure of mockery and a guiding spirit; the elaborate ornamentation, like fragments left behind by civilization, leads the viewer through a visual labyrinth to explore the relationship between self and world.
Yan-Xuan Ke's practice is dedicated to the contemporary exploration of ink art. Through the use of mizuho pigments and the vocabulary of brush and ink, she reflects on the interweaving of cultural roots and the individual psyche, employing the imagery of apes and symbolic metaphor to develop artistic thinking within a contemporary context.
Her work has been exhibited in numerous venues, including Chongqing–Taiwan Youth Emerging Art (Sichuan, 2024), Shared Roots, Painted Together (Shandong, 2024), Taiwan–Shandong Masters Joint Exhibition (New Taipei, 2024), Hutong Code — Metaverse Expedition Residency Exhibition (Beijing, 2025), Distant Ancestor · Primal Ancestor: Ko Yen-Hsuan Solo Exhibition (Taoyuan, 2022), New Voices in Art — Outstanding Graduates Joint Exhibition (Taichung, 2020–2023), Emergence — Youth Art Gongbi Joint Exhibition (Kaohsiung, 2020), Baojia Gallery Joint Exhibition (Taipei, 2023), and Zhuopu Art: My Thoughts, My Views — Joint Exhibition (Kaohsiung, 2023), among others. She continues to engage with cultural reflection and self-inquiry through the language of ink.
Decorative details are another language of "excess." Through complexity, glitter, and layering, they challenge the viewer's patience while simulating the landscape of modern society — one ceaselessly filled with signs, desires, and media. Each decorative element is at once a filling of space and an interrogation of existence: when an image becomes too ornate, can we still perceive its essence?
My work seeks to construct a realm that exists between dream and reality, between the absurd and the sacred. Within it, the monkey is both a figure of mockery and a guiding spirit; the elaborate ornamentation, like fragments left behind by civilization, leads the viewer through a visual labyrinth to explore the relationship between self and world.
Yan-Xuan Ke's practice is dedicated to the contemporary exploration of ink art. Through the use of mizuho pigments and the vocabulary of brush and ink, she reflects on the interweaving of cultural roots and the individual psyche, employing the imagery of apes and symbolic metaphor to develop artistic thinking within a contemporary context.
Her work has been exhibited in numerous venues, including Chongqing–Taiwan Youth Emerging Art (Sichuan, 2024), Shared Roots, Painted Together (Shandong, 2024), Taiwan–Shandong Masters Joint Exhibition (New Taipei, 2024), Hutong Code — Metaverse Expedition Residency Exhibition (Beijing, 2025), Distant Ancestor · Primal Ancestor: Ko Yen-Hsuan Solo Exhibition (Taoyuan, 2022), New Voices in Art — Outstanding Graduates Joint Exhibition (Taichung, 2020–2023), Emergence — Youth Art Gongbi Joint Exhibition (Kaohsiung, 2020), Baojia Gallery Joint Exhibition (Taipei, 2023), and Zhuopu Art: My Thoughts, My Views — Joint Exhibition (Kaohsiung, 2023), among others. She continues to engage with cultural reflection and self-inquiry through the language of ink.
Yan-Xuan Ke CV