Unapologetic about pushing boundaries, Yvan Deng’s work is most publicly known for the groundbreaking integration of expressionism into the contemporary high fashion scene. Largely influenced by Asian high fashion and photography, Yvan’s ceramics and paintings are distinctly recognizable by depicting bold Asian faces, OTT earrings, and finely Evangelista meets Crawford arched eyebrows. He describes his process of creation as one of freedom, personality, and emotion. With a wide breadth of skills across mixed media and a true to traditional form forte set in Oriental ink, Yvan draws inspiration from traditional Chinese ink painting. Then he launches it into the future.

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His unconditional love for fashion and his passion for art and painting have resulted in Yvan becoming the only live illustrator at Shanghai & Paris Fashion Week. Though known for the flashing pace of his craft, Yvan is the first to remind us that at the heart of a fifteen minute piece lies twenty years of passionate prep. For him, this intuitive sense of style began when he was a small boy.

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Yvan Deng has been the only live artist ever invited to Shanghai Fashion Week to expand on the mere runway reality through live illustrations. His work includes Backstage, Beauty, Atmosphere, and Runway. Yvan pioneered the first collaboration between fashion Designers and live emotional speed painting at the shows by capturing the ambiance and designs onto paper, in less than 20 minutes. With each of these paintings, Yvan never sketched anything out beforehand, and never returned to alter them in hindsight. Each piece was completed entirely in the moment, on the catwalk. It’s a matter of stylish savoir-faire, one might say.

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Yvan Deng’s ceramic works, which include both functional and sculptural objects, are heavily infused with elements of fashion, humor, and character, all depicted in traditional Chinese ink. 

 

“My art is an emotional type of improvisation, and each new piece is a new moment of time. Ceramics is a whole new canvas.” -Yvan Deng