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Eric Chengyang 墨月无觞/橙陽 🌞

@monkeywearstie

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👨‍🎨👨‍💻Hybrid intersection of art+fashion+queer history, hanfu vs. Orientalism, storytelling & coding, via INxJ & Chinese-Canadian lens
🌕🪻 跨圈交流荟 🍉🥮

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In anticipation of the “Aural Garden” project at Nuit Blanche, let me pay a long overdue homage to Li, Qingzhao （#李清照), who is a major influence behind my exploration of flora, literature, and fashion history.

This historically accurate render depicts Qingzhao in a standard Song-styled hanfu attire for women, especially during the late 11th-12th centuries.

Li, Qingzhao is considered as one the greatest poets specializing in the Song styled ci-verse (宋词). In the historical, male-dominated filed of Chinese literature, she was one of the few female writers who was listed and viewed equally among her male counterparts. Thus, as a male visual artist myself, I chose her works as my main inspiration, reversing perceived and historical roles.
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In fact, the entire project titled “Flora, Luna-Corona 团花·月華” was inspired by Qingzhao’s uses of flora in her writings, such as how she depicted specific flowers indirectly with the Chinese language, and how she used flora as symbolism of complex feelings and very dramatic lived experiences.

🔖Part of the Series, “Zanhua & the Great Women 簪花图谱·伟人篇”

🔖Media (illustration): hand-painted #digitalwatercolor in #adobefresco by a human (me) | To maximize accuracy, her face is based on IRL actress/models from her hometown: Jinan, Shandong (山东济南）

#fashionhistory #traditionalclothes #hanfu #chineseculture #chinesefashion #zanhua #floralfashion #femalewriter taken in Toronto Ontario Canada by @monkeywearstie

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3

a year ago

As I work with fashion history, I’ve been wearing hanfu on a daily basis for almost a decade. Especially for my shows & talks, I often styled an entire hanfu attire based on the artworks or exhibition themes. As the BWST 2026 exhibition in Burlington is closing today, let me start to share the stories behind some of my outfits.

For the BWST reception, I put together a complete, Tang-styled hanfu attire based on the imagery and poetry in the exhibiting sculpture, as the outfit reflected the behind-the-scene research:

🖼️ Part/IMG 1 : From head to toe, the entire hanfu was inspired by High Tang poet, Wang, Wei’s (王維) poem which depicted a gathering on a lotus filled lake. Coincidentally, my blue yuanling-pao (圆领袍) had a subtle lotus-waves motif, mirroring Wang, Wei’s lines:

“當軒對樽酒四面芙蓉開
We raised the vessels, facing the window,
facing the lotus blooming on all sides.”

🖼️ Part 2: The zanhua (flora-adornment) I wore was inspired by another Tang poet named Du, Mu (杜牧), especially by his poem recording the custom of chrysanthemum-wearing during the Chongyang: Double Ninth Festival. Interestingly, in the Tang dynasty, both the zhuyu-plant (possibly dogwood; 茱萸) and chrysanthemum were worn on the Double Ninth Festival, which were mentioned in the poems by Wang, Wei and Du, Mu, respectively.

🖼️ Part 3: I’ve noticed most discussion online about hanfu or Chinese fashion history at large often ignore how the garments were designed and made to wear. For instance, contrary to common belief, some of the long robes and skirts were worn by common people, workers, or labourers. As shown here, when someone wear a long robe passing the knees, they often tied up the hemline of the robe and tucked it into the belt. I’ve worn my hanfu according to the Tang statue on the left, although the same practice also existed in the Song and Ming dynasties.

#traditionalclothes #hanfu #chinesefashion #fashionhistory #ootd #zanhua #汉服 #漢服 #簪花 taken in Burlington, Ontario by @monkeywearstie

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3

5 months ago

I’m a part of the “Nuit Rose: Rewilding” exhibition, opening tomorrow (June 20) at Foy House from 5pm.

Being a part of @nuitroseto again is momentous for my project, especially since this year’s theme is “Rewilding”: the act of revival or restoration of an ecosystem or biodiversity. I had also participated in “Nuit Rose 2019 (Arcade)”, which was the last show before the festival went on a hiatus due to the pandemics.

In fact, the project I am showing this year was directly inspired by the research materials from my Nuit Rose 2019 project, particularly, the queer themed story of “Fen-Tao” (分桃）from Han, Fei’s essay called “Shui Nan (說難/说难): Difficulties of Persuasion”.

In this new project, I finally have the chance to explore the full Chinese idiom called Duan-Xiu Fen-Tao (#斷袖分桃/#断袖分桃), or The Cut-Sleeve and the Parted-Peach”, as a whole.

This literary chengyu-term indicates two of the oldest queer stories in Chinese history, marking our existence and the rights to exist in Chinese tradition for at least 2600 years.

“the scent of carnation
the warmth of lavender
the taste of a half peach
the cyan hues of lime.
…
leave: a
seed.”
- excerpt from “Study of Equivalent Relations (Duan-Xiu, A Loose Sleeve)”
AKA. img 1: a photo (not painting) with hidden text

🍑 Come explore the queer cultural stories w/ historically accurate interpretations and contemporary twists.
🪻Discover my secret tales, figure out what is the “cyan hues of lime”, or meet a very handsome man (who is not me).

You can also visit a wide range of programming, as Nuit Rose is rewilding Church neighbourhood on Saturday night (img 2).

📍Foy House, 92 Isabella St, Toronto (near Wellesley Station).

#contemporaryart #lgbt #queerart #lgbthistory #canadianart #chineseculture #torontoartists #hanfu #fentao #duanxiu #酷儿 #藝術展覽 #艺术展 A veiled figure with an ink-like hanfu sleeve flying in air. Event details is in the caption. taken in Foy House by @monkeywearstie

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4 months ago

(No audio) I am showing my very first outdoor sculpture at Burlington (ON) till May 31, as a part of the BWST 2026 exhibition.

In response to the lakeside location of the Burlington Waterfront Sculpture Trail (BWST), this work explores the relations between shifting phases, moving water, and a travelling garden being inspired by Tkaronto: where there are trees standing in the water (from Kanien’kéha language).

Playing with the outdoor space, I want to make an installation that reacts to the shifting light, and uses actual sunlight as a physical medium. Reflecting the relations between tidal waves and the lunisolar cycles, the final installation has its own day/night cycles:

☀️1. A part of the Yunjian (Cloud-Collar adornment) is changing colour gradually, as its cyanotype-based pieces slowly react to the sunlight and UV rays.

🌙2. The installation comes with solar-powered lights, which are charged by the Sun during day time, and turned on automatically after nightfall.

As this is my first outdoor installation, there have been a few intriguing surprises as well as mistakes. I was amazed to see that the project’s self-proficient day/light cycle actually works IRL, at least for the cyanotypes and candles. Unfortunately, while the mannequin itself is actually a large light-box, I didn’t install its solar-power bank properly, and the mannequin doesn’t turn itself on for this show.

Nevertheless, I’d like to thank the team of @cobalt_connects for giving me this opportunity & a beautiful location. Although this installation is not directly on the waterfront trail, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the installation fits into a contemporary, urban space at sunset (img 1) and at night (reel 2). It’s a pleasure to witness that the installation is illuminating the intersection together with the vibrant street lights.

Venue:
📍Village Square (Location 10, Burlington Waterfront Sculpture Trail; map in IMG 3)
🌷Check out the 60+ sculptural projects & explore the beautiful Burlington Waterfront till May 31, 2026

#contemporaryart #textileart #chineseculture #canadianart #torontoartists #fashionart #visualpoetry #傳統文化 #传统文化 taken in Burlington, Ontario by @monkeywearstie

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6 months ago

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I am very excited to present the new iteration of “Flora, Luna-Corona 团花•月華” & a new, collaborative storytelling experiment with Humber Galleries, as one of Nuit Blanche 2025’s Independent Project & a part of its Humber Lakeshore Hub. ⁠
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In response to the theme of “Translating the City”, this multi-component installation explores the relation between languages and storytelling through the recurring motifs of “flora (团花)”, “lunar corona (月華)” and “waves (潮)”. Reimagining the City of Tkaronto as a garden that cultivates cultures by sharing the same soil, water, and moonlight, what stories are awakened as we translate these motifs and overcome lingual-cultural barriers? ⁠
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Along with an updated light sculpture from the Gibson House iteration, the Humber Lakeshore iteration will feature an “Aural Garden”: a poetic gathering by a multilingual ensemble of artists from different time and places. This collaborative storytelling is made possible with the contributions and original writings by Rana @ranakhattab , Nilou @niloufarsalimi , Veronica @vssspiljak , Emily @g_em_ and me. ⁠
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This year, it is so lucky to have the work up on the day right before the Mid-Autumn Festival, a special time symbolizing reunion and gathering in the Chinese cultural context. Thus, join our floral gathering by a symbolic lunar corona and under the real Moon, as our team guides you through an Aural Garden by the water, where Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese), Arabic, Farsi (Persian), Polish and English languages meet.
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⁠📌”Flora, Luna-Corona (The Awakening Waves) 团花·月華 (潮生篇)”, with a collaborative “Aural Garden” sound-piece⁠
📍Project no.34 at Humber Lakeshore Hub, Nuit Blanche 2025⁠
📍Building L (indoor on floor 2), 19 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr, Humber Lakeshore Campus, Toronto/Etobicoke⁠
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Many thanks to the staffs of @humbergalleries for curatorial support, and the @humberlakeshore Campus, the Ontario Arts Council and Government of Ontario for funding supports.⁠ It really help me to realize a project that is truly multicultural and multi-lingual. ⁠
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✨Image: a rainbow lunar corona captured at 1:11am on Jan 18, 2025, North York. taken in Humber Polytechnic - Lakeshore Campus by @monkeywearstie

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a year ago

It’s such an honor to be given the Third Prize (Adult Category) at NPCC’s “Be Creative” exhibition, especially since this project is marking two beginnings for me IRL, and exploring the idea of “The Parting”.

“We were fishes living in the same pond, / of the same colour but different shades, / until that day

You went searching for the starry ocean / and I swam toward the stormy desert.”

Thank you to juror @kathoneyartist for not only offering the opportunity, but also sharing this thoughtful comment (shown in IMG 2).

I got stage fright during the award ceremony and missed parts of the speech. In hindsight, it is very moving to see how we can come to the same interpretation from different backgrounds.

@daohanfu : What am I Wearing?
As a fashion history researcher, I planned this Tang-styled hanfu to mirror and bridge the two themes: “Be Creative” & “The Parting”.

In contrast to “parting”, this historically accurate hanfu and its layering is known to be a cultural hybrid, reflecting the cultural convergence of the ancient Silk Road during the Tang dynasty.

Both the outer yuanling-pao (#圆领袍 ) and inner banbi (#半臂 ) are based on a #floral theme with a #rainbow palette, alluding to this show that takes places in #etobicoke and features a diverse and intergenerational group of artistic talents (IMG 3). 😉

📍The exhibition runs till July 5 at Neilson Park Creative Centre, 56 Neilson Drive, Etobicoke (35 min walk from Kipling Station/Kipling GO).

🎉July 5th, from 12-5pm: NPCC’s Creative Festival with free art activities, performances & vendors in Neilson Park.

#contemporaryart #queerartist #canadianart #chineseartist #torontoartist #traditionalclothing #hanfu #汉服 #漢服 #lgbt #fashionhistory The artist is standing in front of a work depicting a divided peach, and being dressed in a drak gray hanfu/Chinese robe with colourful floral motifs. taken in Neilson Park Creative Centre by @monkeywearstie

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a year ago

My work“Study of Equivalent Relations (A Split Peach): The Parting” will be a part of the “Be Creative, Be You, Be All In” group exhibition at @npccarts from Jun 17 to Jul 5, 2025.

This new iteration (img 1) consists of an “open secret“, as this shadow-box can mingle with light.

It also marks the beginning of an art series trying to blur & erase the border between literary and visual languages:

The visuals is based on the Chinese euphemism called fen-tao (分桃), aka. a historical term for (male) homosexuality, originating from an ancient essay titled “Shui Nan《说难》 (The Difficulties of Persuasion)”.

The “secret” part was initially drafted on The First GO Train Ride; later on, I revised it to mirror the themes of ephemerality being explored in the source story of “Fen-Tao”. (Speaking of an “open secret”, for those who know what I am talking about: no, I’ve not seen him ever since. Very fitting for the art! 😉).

While the attraction & beauty in the story of “Fen-Tao” was ephemeral, evidences of our existences & queer love is eternal (excluding delulu & situationships).

See event details in img 2:
📍Neilson Park Creative Centre
📍56 Neilson Drive, Etobicoke, ON
🌈 Opening ceremony with drag performances & special events: Jun. 20 from 6-9pm

🏷️ Artwork Medium: #digitalphotography, human-made/hand-painted #digitalwatercolor in #adobefresco & #visualpoetry

#lgbt #queerart #contemporaryart #canadianart #chineseart #fentao #torontoartscene An golden peach being split into two halves, framed inside a white shadow box with white background. taken in Neilson Park Creative Centre by @monkeywearstie

15

0

a year ago

After 5 years, the “Dao: Duan-Xiu 道·断袖” project is back! Come see its new iteration created for the group show: GHOST BODY, curated by @mr.wonderf.ul | Join the opening & meet the 13 artists from 6-9pm at the plumb project space , or come to one of the three Saturday film screenings curated by @jroginsky_

IMG 1: “Dao: Duan-Xiu (Passage: the Broken-Sleeve) 道•断袖” is inspired by a 2000+ year old story about the love between two men, which is recorded in Han Shu (汉书; Book of Han): a Chinese history book about the Western Han dynasty.

Centring on the euphemism of duanxiu (断袖） or the cut sleeve, this multimedia installation is essentially a non-linear storytelling project, as it explores how the flow of time affects the meanings of stories, words, and motifs.

(💁‍♂️ FYI. to show how hip I am, I even included new, Gen-Z Chinese terms that many Chinese speakers might not even heard of 🤓)

📍The plumb: basement of 1655 Dufferin St. (Access via a small alley, next to a metal sign)
📍Exhibition Date: Oct. 25 - Nov. 24, 2024
📍Film Programs: Oct. 26 + Nov. 9 + Nov 23

💠ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: the 2024 iteration of “Dao: Duan-Xiu 道·断袖” was created with the funding support from the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario. It features a collaborative sculpture created between metal-based artist, Charlize Nhung, and myself.

#contemporaryart #lgbt #chineseculture #canadianart #queerartist #torontoartscene #当代艺术 #當代藝術 #酷兒 #文化 #断袖 #斷袖 A figure in a loose Chinese hanfu robe dissipating into white smoke. Exhibition info in caption taken in the plumb by @monkeywearstie

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2 years ago

Receiving the grant from Ontario Arts Council this year marks several milestones for me, especially after a series of rejections. A challenge for me working in site-specific projects is: when a proposal is rejected, the idea becomes a bursting bubble and enters hibernation. Therefore, the OAC grant is like rays of sunlight following the thunderstorm.

In the past, I had the same discussion with different artists, as we were wondering: when our projects are so embedded in specific cultural traditions, will our stories be valued or even seen in the dominating canon of the larger society?

While my answer has always been “yes”, this “yes” consisted of 75% confirmation and 25% doubts. The second milestone is to finally diminish these doubts to reach that 100% affirmation: our stories matter! Therefore, I am truly grateful for the support & recognition of @ontarioartscouncil #ontarioartscouncil

Image Context:
Left image features an old artwork from the “Zanhua & The Floral Men” series. The illustration depicts a historcially accurate Tang-styled hanfu attire with dogwood adornments. All garment layers, motifs, palette, and styling are based on historical relics from the High Tang period of China’s Tang dynasty, or the first half of the 8th century. On the right, as a continuation of my illustration, I recreated and reimagined the same hanfu & zanhua style in real life and in a contemporary context.

感谢OAC（安大略省艺术家委员会）授予的艺术家创作补助金。此时事业恰好遇到了些许瓶颈，得到OAC的官方认可如同划过阵雨阴云的一道光，在迷茫中突然浮现出方向。(英文篇幅太长了，中文从简吧）

左图出自《簪花图谱•男子篇》系列作，展示了盛唐风的汉服搭配与男子簪花风俗。右图参照左图绘，以照片形式重新演绎现实版的盛唐风簪花风尚。

“遥知兄弟登高处遍插茱萸少一人”
“From here, I thought of the brothers ascending the mountains / Over there, they thought of that lone dogwood missing from the crowd.”
— By Wang, Wei (王维), High-Tang poet. English interpretation by me.

(Yes, on the day of the news, I did lock myself in the bathroom at work and cried. That weird ”Moaning Myrtle“ sound was me 😅😂).

#artsforallontarians #ontarioarts #ArtsAndCultureON #canadianartist #chineseartist #torontoartist #chinesestyle #hanfu #汉服 #漢服 #traditionalclothes #fashionhistory #zanhua #簪花 #floralfashion #adobefresco #contemporaryart taken in Toronto, Ontario by @monkeywearstie

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3 years ago

I am involved in a dialogue-based project at the Market Gallery called “Migrant Stories”.

In my part, I share stories of being a gen-1.5 Chinese-Canadian, especially, how my cross-cultural experiences inspire me to connect languages with visual arts, and to break linguistic and socio-cultural barriers through hybridity.

Thank you to @umbereene for inviting me and hosting the interview, and @aswilliamson for the behind-the-camera hard work. Thank you to @tohistorymuseums for giving me a platform to share my stories alongside 5 other artists & storytellers.

🍁Mar 7 - May 5, 2024 | “Migrant Stories” at Market Gallery
📍 2nd Floor of St. Lawrence Market, 95 Front Street E., Toronto
⏰ Wed-Sun: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m

Migrant Stories at the Market Gallery showcases the captivating global journey of individuals who arrived, stayed, and flourished in Toronto. The exhibit unveils the stories of five remarkable migrants, shedding light on the challenges, triumphs, and resilience of those who have overcome adversity to call Toronto home. Presented in partnership with Frankfurt, Germany this initiative goes beyond borders, offering a unique perspective on migration from both a local and global lens.

Toronto History Museums are breaking through. The Breakthrough is a series of dynamic cultural experiences at Toronto History Museums. Celebrating diversity, inclusion, equality, wellness, sustainability and advocacy.

🖌️ Background Artwork (IMG 1):
Dao: Jianghu (Passage: Maple Yellow, Rippling Red) | 道•江湖（枫黄与红潮)
-- The promo artwork is chosen for thematic relevance, and is not a part of the show.

#cityoftoronto #torontoartist #torontoartscene #canadianartist #chineseartist #canadianculture #加拿大 #chineseculture #华人 #multiexposure #artphotography #traditionalclothes #hanfu #汉服 #漢服 A person in a red hanfu robe disappearing in to a maple forest with yellow and orange leaves. taken in St Lawrence Market by @monkeywearstie

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3 years ago

After 8 months, my show ”Flora, Luna-Corona 团花·月華“ is coming to an end at the Gibson House on Feb. 19th, 2024. Originally conceptualized in Spring 2023, this show has managed to experience all four seasons:

🌱 SPRING

青山长在水长流
The green hills stand still; The river runs on
— By Shi, Xinghai, Song dynasty | 出自宋代释行海之《送清上人归苕溪》

Like the Tolman Sweet Apple tree that is still standing after 150+ years, I hope the current ending leads to the future fruition of the project, as the digital portion will continue growing via. floralunacorona.com , as a digital garden & archive.

🌹SUMMER

Thank you to all the friends that join Ange, Alaina, and me on July 22 for our floral themed lecture & tour. IMG 2 & 3 are some highlights from past summer. Alaina’s text (IMG 2) is still available at the Gibson House until the end of the show.

🍂 FALL

Unfortunately, due to spatial adjustment, the interactive “tree” activity (IMG 4) was removed back in Fall. By the time of the take-down, the entire tree was filled, as many visitors had been leaving their responses on the ”grass“. I am so grateful for the overwhelming amount of interaction, especially since this projected tree was the most difficult part of the entire installation, and it took Claire and I a few weeks, 2 projectors, 2 cables, and 2 tablets to make it work.

❄️ WINTER

Once again, many thanks to my mentors, staffs, and volunteers of @tohistorymuseums for their continuous supports: from conceptualization to installation, and from inspiring my wild ideas to helping me host the ambitious programmings.

⏱️The Gibson House museum is open on Wed-Sun from 11am-4pm. Come check it out until Monday, Feb. 19th (Family Day).

#contemporaryart #cityoftoronto #traditionalclothes #artphotography #canadianart #chineseart #multicultural #torontoart #zanhua #簪花 #hanfu #汉服 #漢服 #floralfashion taken in Gibson House Museum by @monkeywearstie

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3 years ago

I have two works showing in “Dying.exhibit” 2024, a program in conjunction with @designtofestival running from Jan. 19-28.

Inspired by the Death card of Tarot, aka. the transformation card, I’ve reconstructed two old projects to incorporate interactive elements.

“Dying.2024” marks the first time for me to exhibit text-based works on their own, as I begin a journey to explore the meeting points between visual vocabulary, poetry, and programming languages.

I want to thank the @dyingseries team for offering me spaces to display both my works, and thus, allowing this duo to form a paradoxical relationship with each other: such as the symbiotic links between adding & erasing, endings & beginnings, as well as light & shadow (pun intended 😉).

🌘 Come to OCADU to “feel” the poetry, as light chases the shadow:

📍OCADU Lobby, 100 McCaul Street, Toronto
📍Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 am - 8:00 pm | Sat 8:30 am - 6:00 pm | Sun 12:00pm - 8:00 pm
🌕 Opening reception on Tues, Jan. 23, 6-9PM (see IMG 2 for details)

#contemporaryart #visualpoetry #canadianart #chineseart #webart #coding #moon #death #torontoartist #torontoartscene Image with a black circle overlapping a white circle, and forming a crescent shape. The text says: Dying. exhibit, Jan 19-28 at OCADU taken in OCAD University by @monkeywearstie

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3 years ago