LUO YANG 

DIASPORA BIRDS

SOLO SHOW  – 1 Nov 2024 – 28 Dec 2024

Migrant Bird Space, a place in Berlin for sophisticated contemporary art at the intersection of China and Europe presents again the outstanding photography by the Chinese female Artist Luo Yang. After Girls, the ground laying Berlin Solo-Debut in October 2019, the gallery continued to follow up closely the innovative output of Luo Yangs work and presented it multiple times in Berlin. In China Fever in 2019 for instance, Luo Yang was featured – besides Lin Zhipeng (No.223) and Ren Hang – as an integral part of a young thriving generation of Chinese Photographers. In One and a Half Decades – Portrait Photography of Hong Kong youth Luo Yang was presented alongside Alexandra Leese and Lin Zhipeng in 2021.

Starting on November 1st 2024 Migrant Bird Space presents a second whole new Solo Exhibition by Luo Yang. The team is very engaged to introduce an adequate selection out of the brand new Asian comunity in close coordination with the artist to a wider audience in the German Capital and beyond. While intensive travelling between asian communities all over the world during the last years, Luo Yang met and photographed diverse individuals in their new personal environments abroad from their origins. Meanwhile the artist has acclaimed a broad work complex of compelling images, waiting to be perceived by the public. Under the accurate title Diaspora Birds Luo Yang and the gallery team conceive and show a selected blend of these close imageries of this young generation of asian emigrants all over the world. Being characterised by a multi-polar living constellation between their familiar culture roots, the inscribed habits of the new social surroundings and the potential to always „fly“ to the next nest; these depicted protagonists provide inside glimpses into their very own life full of pride and fragility.

“A shoot is actually

 a process of finding the balance between 

the photographer and the subject.” Luo Yang 

Luo Yang photographic explorations are series of companionship providing inner views of humane interrelations in constellations of social groups. Alike Nan Goldin or Wolfgang Tillmans, Luo takes the camera with her into the close relationships with friends, into the sparkling lifestyle and subculture of a young asian generation between self-discovery and collective expectations. But Lou Yang never puts herself into the direct focus, nor she exposes her protagonists in situations of helplessness and personal fail. Rather she upholds a very delicate distance to her models, allowing her to take these outstanding close ups of faces, clothes, skin, jewellery and bodies, without embarrassing someone. Her outstanding ability is to always strike the fine line between the disclosures and the dignity of a person. 

The compelling results are single shots taken out a whole life environment, they turn out as fragile fixations steadily changing between intimacy and strength, always alternating between vulnerability and independency of the dear persons caught on camera.  But the photos never appear to be artificial, or even staged. No, they emerge directly out of an authentic, empathetic togetherness, that sometimes even reaches the quality of a bitter sweet conspiracy. All is full of understanding, complicity and desire, all is full of love.

Luo Yang’s Diaspora Birds series is a profound exploration of the immigrant experience within the Asian community, with a particular focus on those living in Europe. Over the past two years, Luo Yang has traveled extensively across Europe, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges of navigating both Eastern and Western cultures, and the search for self-worth and identity within Western social systems.

During her travels, Luo Yang met many Asian immigrants from various countries whose stories deeply resonated with her. These narratives reveal the cultural conflicts, experiences of racial discrimination, struggles with self-identity, difficulties integrating into Western society, and the feeling of being unable to return to their homelands. These immigrants come from China, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, and other nations, including first- and second-generation immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, orphans adopted into Europe, political refugees, and recent students who have chosen to stay.

Each generation’s and each country’s immigrant history is deeply intertwined with the social and historical context of their new homes. Through this project, Luo Yang found both solace and inspiration, hoping to bring the rich, compelling stories of the Asian immigrant community to a wider audience.

Her work not only documents the external lives of these immigrants but also delves into their internal spiritual experiences. Through her lens, Luo Yang captures the emotional fluctuations and inner struggles of living in a foreign land, allowing viewers to experience the complex emotions and resilient spirits that navigate the intersection of cultures.

In today’s globalized world, displacement and immigration are common phenomena. Luo Yang’s project aims to shed light on the lives and emotional experiences of these groups, fostering greater understanding and empathy among audiences. She hopes her work will encourage viewers to reflect on the possibilities of cultural integration and the importance of respecting and including different cultural backgrounds. Additionally, she seeks to offer strength and hope to those facing similar challenges, affirming that their stories deserve to be seen and heard.

Through Diaspora Birds, Luo Yang aims not only to give voice to the Asian immigrant community but also to promote dialogue and understanding between different cultures, highlighting diversity and the shared emotional bonds of humanity.