Inspiration through material
Metallic Transformation (Log), Hongjie Yang, 2016, aluminium, 30 x 12 x 12 cm • © Ronald Smits
With the series Metallic Transformation, the Chinese designer Hongjie Yang explores the tension between nature and artifice, by means of sculptures worthy of dystopian archaeology.
Born in 1989, educated in New York and then awarded a Master’s in Contextual Design from the Design Academy of Eindhoven, Hongjie Yang has developed a unique aesthetic where the raw materiality of nature meets technological innovation. Through his processes, he explores the metamorphoses of metal, tracing a path from primitive ores to sublimated aluminium. Liminality is at the heart of his thought process; it’s a transitory state, from the Latin limen, meaning “threshold”. This concept invites the spectator to enter a blurry space where traditional distinctions fade away. With Metallic Transformation, Yang brings this vision to life by combining organic materials with cutting-edge technologies, such as plasma spray coating on metal, a process borrowed from the aerospace industry.
The resulting sculptures are characterised by a play of contrasts between the polished surfaces of the metal and the raw mineral textures. These variations illustrate the impact of humans on their environment and visually translate the synergy of opposites, a central theme for the artist. “There are forces that oppose each other, often triggered by our own actions,” he says. “It’s the convergence of these forces that are revealed in my works.”
This duality between natural elements and industrial chemistry raises questions about our current environmental situation. In his work, human intervention shapes the organic world, not to denature it, but to attempt to preserve it. Hongjie Yang declares in particular that “nature as we know it is coming to an end. We humans are and will always be an element in the overall system of nature,” since its very essence is redefined. By projecting us into this new artificial era, Metallic Transformation addresses the ambiguity between the principles of appropriation and preservation. The technical process then becomes symbolic, by reflecting a time when human intervention is no longer perceived as outside of or antagonistic to nature, but as a component of its evolution. “Here, the very body of the sculpture is defined by plant life when it encounters and interacts with the application of advanced materials science. At no time can one element be separated from the other,” he explains. The metal is not opposed to either the log or the plant, but merges with them to form a single body. The designer thus explores the mutation of materials, into a hybrid born of technological progress, but anchored in a raw, almost archaeological visual language. Through his work, Yang forges an aesthetic dialogue, offering a reflection on a future where the benchmark is based on a new marriage of meaning and matter. •
