Hello, whoever is sitting in front of the laptop.

I am an international artist who began my studies in the United States at Otis College of Art and Design in 2018. I recently earned my MFA in Painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in May 2025.

As an artist, I find joy in exploring how we live, think, and connect within society. What excites me most about this work is the freedom to pursue topics that feel urgent, personal, and philosophical. I am particularly drawn to themes such as mortality and immortality, privacy and publicity, love within the context of hyperreality, and media exploration. Through my practice, I seek not only intellectual inquiry but also a form of spiritual abundance.

Much of my recent work investigates how contemporary virtual pop culture—especially the rise of idealized digital personas and idols—shapes adolescent identity and psychology. This phenomenon, driven by platforms and virtual streaming, often creates a mental state I refer to as “rational madness”: a tension between logical awareness and emotional disconnection, intensified by social media, rising societal expectations, consumerism, and fragile family dynamics. In response, I create layered, multimedia installations that incorporate both traditional painting and digital forms. These immersive spaces invite viewers to reflect on the blurred boundaries between virtual and real, offering insight into how young people engage with digital culture and construct meaning within it.

While painting remains my primary medium—particularly oil and acrylic—I also explore sculpture, photography, book arts, and animation. The interdisciplinary nature of fine art gives me the freedom to experiment and challenge visual conventions. I believe art can be a powerful tool for interpreting and reframing the psychological and cultural complexities of our time.

Currently, I’m developing a new project focused on cosplay, fandom culture, and coded language in the context of hyperreality—further expanding my exploration of identity formation in the digital age.

Thank you for visiting—please feel free to explore my portfolio to learn more about my work.

  • Yi Wang

    b. 1998, Shanghai, CN

    Contact info: /@yiwang9735 // linkedin// +1 (443)-350-0662/

    EDUCATION

    2019-2023 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine Arts

    Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA

    2023-2025 MFA in multidisciplinary study.

    Maryland Institute Collage of Art, Baltimore, MD

    SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

    2022 Enter-Monologue, Bolsky Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

    2023 Art Intersect Show, smoky hollow roasters, Los Angeles, CA

    2023 Senior group show, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA

    2023 In uncertainty we trust, Fred Lazarus IV Center, Baltimore, MD

    2024 Eat Grass Touch Meat Drink Oceans, Fred Lazarus IV Center, Baltimore, MD

    2025 Grad2025, Fox Building, Maryland Institute Collage of Art, Baltimore, MD

    SOLO EXHIBITION

    2025 The Loft Theory, 2210 Eutaw Place, Baltimore, MD

    RESIDENCIES & AWARDS

    2023-25 Scholarship, Maryland institute of art, MD

    2021-2023 Emerson Woelffer Scholarship, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA

    2019-2023 International student Scholarship, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA

  • As a visual artist, I am interested in how people connect—with each other, with their environments, and with their inner emotional lives—especially in a world shaped by both digital intensity and domestic intimacy. My work bridges contemporary social concerns and traditional craft, blending media like oil painting, fabric dyeing, and sewing to create tactile, layered environments. These materials carry a sense of softness and care—an intentional nostalgia that links us across time, space, and generations. In contrast to the fast pace of urban life and the hyper-stimulation of digital culture, these works offer a quiet space for dialogue and reflection.

    Family dynamics have long shaped my practice. Raised in Shanghai—a city driven by technological convenience and relentless competition—I became attuned to how individuals process stress and pass emotional energy onto others, often unconsciously. This sensitivity informs my visual storytelling. I draw from personal observation, memory, and metaphor to explore how people navigate pressure and connection, both at home and in society.

    My early influences included geometric abstraction and simplified figurative structures, which I often use to suggest emotional dislocation or a sense of spatial unease. These visual strategies help me portray insecurity, temptation, and mediated identities—especially in relation to entertainment and online culture. Humor, texture, and movement play a key role in making these themes accessible and emotionally resonant.

    Currently, I am working on a body of work that merges private and public space by integrating my paintings and textile-based pieces into home-like installations. These works invite viewers to consider how identity, comfort, performance, and surveillance unfold within the most personal spaces we inhabit.