Siqi Yang

Siqi Yang: GSS MFA Graduate Fellow 2024-25

Siqi Yang (b. 2000), originally from Shandong, China, is currently based in Glasgow, UK. Influenced by her traditional upbringing, family background, and personal memories, Siqi Yang’s works focus on themes such as childhood trauma and stereotypes of female identity.

Siqi Yang received a BA from Jingdezhen Ceramic University in 2022 and an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art in 2024. Siqi Yang’s works have been exhibited in cities such as Jingdezhen, Glasgow, and Hamburg, and she also organized several workshops in Jingdezhen and Glasgow.

As an East Asian female artist, Siqi Yang experiments with various media to explore the relationship between symbolic language and female identity by deconstructing and reinterpreting ambiguous symbols. She strives to counterbalance the grand narratives of collectivism with personal expression. The theme of childhood trauma frequently emerges in her work, not as a direct retelling but as a subtle undercurrent—something felt rather than seen. This abstraction allows her to navigate deeply personal subjects while inviting the audience to engage in their own interpretations.

My practice is deeply rooted in the intersection of personal memory, cultural tradition, and the complexities of identity. Growing up within a traditional environment, my experiences have been shaped by collective expectations, familial influences, and the unspoken traumas of childhood. These elements have become central to my exploration of identity, particularly the stereotypes and roles assigned to women.

My practice spans sculpture, painting, text, and video. These diverse media allow me to construct a layered visual language that experiments with ambiguous symbols—fragments of memory, cultural artifacts, or abstract shapes—to explore how symbolic language both constructs and restricts female identity.