REN HANG

Carlota Lopez
Jan 17, 2018
3 min read

Ren Hang was a controversial self- taught photographer and poet, born in Jilin, China.

His photography was tremendously explicit, showing nude group and portraits of men and woman in peculiar and sculptural poses. They were his friends, not models, because "They trust me, which makes me feel more relaxed".

His unusual work provoked a response from the Chinese authorities since from back where he is from, pornography is illegal. He got himself arrested a few times and his work got confiscated.

"I am restricted here, but the more I am limited by my country, the more I want my country to take me in and accept me for who I am and what I do".

Ren Hang struggled with depression which he talked about openly on his writtings and poetry, titled "My Depression". It explores death, existence and life.

"I looked up The ceiling becomes high

I sat on the sofa

The sofa becomes thick

I am scared to go down the road

The road becomes wide

This time I can not be sure

The world is zooming in

Or am I shrinking?"

"I just cast a stone into the dark every day. I never got any reverberation. If life is a bottomless abyss, when I jump, endless falls, it is also a flight."

I first came across his work on a independent Portuguese magazine called "Park". There was an article about him with a few photos distributed across the pages and I just felt like I had to know more about this strange man that photographed genitals in such a beautiful way. I felt so vivid and emotional. He was an incredibly creative artist. His way of capturing things was so fresh, it kinda reminded me of Robert Mapplethorpe but more pure, more innocent and more colorful.

He somehow managed to desexualise naked bodies and turn them with the most absurd and atypical shapes. He was able to create an alternative and better world because he knew how to balance nature and humour. He turned what should be wrong into neither right or wrong, but natural, if that makes sense for you. It was what it was. He made me laugh too (with his snakes, models face expressions or the way we would use objects).

What I like about his works is that although he mainly photographed naked bodies, gender was never a focal point. It was simple. There was no hierarchy between the female and the male body. It is just nudity, it is visual art with no boundaries.

He ended up committing suicide last year ,which was a very sad event for the photography community and anyone who had the mentality to understand his work. He never gained the recognition that I think he deserved in his country but I am hoping that one day, this man, will have his work displayed in the most iconic places.