" I wanted to portray my struggles and life journey through a series of queer portraits and queer bodies, growing up as a gay teenager, I was living and experiencing in a body that is always try to fit heteronormative expectations. I want to create a series of queer portraits as my visual love letter to queer people. This is my gratitude and the feelings of being protected and inspired by LGBTQ+ communities in the bay, while also sharing my life story and the things that represent who I am in here." - Jun Yang
Jun Yang is a self-taught, multifaceted, and resourceful artist who uses a broad range of techniques and materials creating art pieces in a variety of sizes and locations, from intimate canvases to full scale murals. Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Jun has made San Francisco his home for the past 12 years. The city continues to inspire Jun and his art with its cultural diversity, celebrated urban landscape, natural beauty as well as the socially inclusive culture which provides support and protection for queer artists like him.
Jun’s work seeks to evoke emotions through his use of space and colors. Jun’s art speaks to viewers across cultures and continents in a unique way, transcending the need for common language. Each piece is incomplete until the viewers contribute their own contexts to the artistic conversation.
Jun has shown his work in numerous national and international exhibitions such as the De Young Museum San Francisco, Consulate General Of The Republic of Korea, Piedmont Center For The Arts, as well as Kunsthaus Graz Museum, MOCA Taipei, Taiwan and galleries in Seoul, Korea. This year, Jun was awarded Visual Artist Grants 2022 by the San Francisco Arts Commission.