ABOUT
Jake Yang is a multi-disciplinary artist working across painting, ceramics, textiles and installation. Yang’s art practice navigates queer youth culture and the way it sits alongside and intersects with his cultural background, raised in a conservative traditional Chinese household. His work challenges the normative assumptions through an examination of intersecting identities and existing in three very different cultures simultaneously (Chinese, Australian and queer). His practice explores the evolving cross- section within himself.
Yang is influenced by traditional Chinese cultural artefacts and techniques as a means of connecting and embracing neglected cultural identity growing up. Transposing these traditional elements into an exploration of queer culture and personal relationships in art is an expression of empowerment, self-development and self-acceptance. He is particularly interested in creating works that allow himself and viewers to re-examine conservative viewpoints through a queer lens. Through re-presenting traditional artefacts, mythologies, symbols, and shapes he can use this lens to relearn and accept cultural identity.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
As an emerging artist, I feel committed to a practice that fosters discussion of cultural intersectionality, both through my Chinese heritage as well as speaking to my queer culture. The exposure of these intersecting themes demands urgency and importance in today’s treatment of queer people of colour.
CV
JAKE YANG, Lives and works in Kaurna Yarta, Adelaide, South Australia Studio based at Floating Goose Studios inc.
EDUCATION 2021 Bachelor of Visual Art, Adelaide Central School of Art
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2026 Fire Horse, Artspace Gallery, OzAsia Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre.
2026 Embedded Threads, Newmarch Gallery, Prospect 2025 The Lanterns Glow, Historic Phone Booths, Adelaide Railway station- OzAsia Festival. 2025 His embrace, FELTspace, Adelaide.
2025 Walk on By, Nexus Arts, Adelaide (Fringe Festival).
2024 Little bits of tenderness, Post Office Projects, Port Adelaide.
2023 Garden of Peace, Floating Goose Studios inc., Adelaide. 2021 Introspection, Carclew, Adelaide.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026 Retrospective, (Nexus Alumni SALA show), Dentons Law Firm, Adelaide.
2026 Outer-Worlds, GalleryM, Marion 2024 Goose Flies South (SALA), South Seas Trading, Port Elliot 2024 Golden Goose (SALA), Floating Goose Studios inc., Adelaide.
2023 VASL, The Hawk Centre, Adelaide
2022 Pendulum, Nexus Arts Gallery, Adelaide
2022 Premium Club, Floating Goose studios inc., Adelaide
2022 Bloomin’ artists!, Endspace gallery, Adelaide
2021 Graduate Exhibition, Adelaide Central School of Art, Adelaide.
2020 Ex Iggy’s Exhibition, Cambelltown arthouse, Adelaide
COMMISSIONS
2025 The legend of the Golden Koi, Illuminate Adelaide City Lights 2025.
2023 House of Campbell ‘In Perpetuity’ Fashion collection launch- Adelaide Fashion Week
2023 Adelaide Festival Centre 50th Anniversary commemorative painting- Oz Asia Flagship.
2022 Adelaide Festival Centre roof projections, collaboration with The electric canvas & AFC. 2022 Mural for Adelaide Festival Centre- Lunar New Year Artist, OzAsia Festival
2019 Premier’s Reading Challenge poster design, 2020
2019 Mural, Bites & Bottle-O, Shanghai, China
ACHIEVEMENTS
2026 Finalist, Gallery one Smallacombe Portrait Prize 2026 2025 Finalist, Prospect 13thPortrait Prize, Newmarch Gallery 2025 Finalist, Adelaide Parklands Art Prize. 2025 Finalist, weekly winner Adelaide Fringe for Solo show Walk on by.
2023 Finalist, Young Achiever Awards, Carclew Creative Achievement Award
EDUCATION
2021 Bachelor of Visual Art, Adelaide Central School of Art