Mu Yajuan: Interpreting beautiful Yunnan in colors

Mu Yajuan is 30 and is an increasingly well-known artist. More than 40 of her works have been collected by a dozen foreign and domestic buyers.

Mu Yajuan was born in northwest Yunnan’s Gongshan Dulong Autonomous County in the depths of the Nu River Canyon. When she was still a toddler, she would draw on the floor or paper whenever she could. She remembers being obsessed with beautiful shapes and colors since childhood. Perhaps she has a gift for painting.

After graduating from the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, she travelled all over the country. In 2012, she went to Shanghai, which sits at the forefront of contemporary art in China. Through the most international social platform in the city, she cooperated with both American and Italian design companies. Later, she found opportunities to study and live abroad, which greatly broadened her horizon. 

MuYajuan’s style and concept of artistic creation is deeply influenced by Yunnan province’s ethnic culture. But she draws on traditions from Chinese and Western culture. Years on, she has gradually identified her artistic orientation and developed her own painting style.

Now, Mu Yajuan mainly lives and works in Shanghai, Yunnan and Singapore. The three different environments represent three distinctive cultures. The different locations constantly inspire her.

“I went out. I have returned. Now I love my hometown even more,” said Mu Yajuan. In her works, you can see Chinese traditional spirits, ideas and techniques, as well as passionate, colourful and earnest ethnic cultures. She hopes that her paintings can introduce the ethnic culture of her hometown to the world, so that more people will know how beautiful Yunnan is and understand the depth of China’s art and culture. (Text and photo by Li Xiuchun) 

Editor: John Li