Conceptual - Nico Wang's Photography

Moon Phase

This work is inspired by the phases of the moon. While the moon appears to change—waxing and waning—but it hasn’t actually changed. It doesn’t emit light but reflects what the sun provides. The phases we see are not the moon’s own transformation, but the result of how the sun illuminates it.

This astronomical phenomenon led me to reflect on intimacy. Like the moon, we often remain unchanged at our core, but the way we are treated in close relationships shapes how we appear, to ourselves and to others. The moon doesn’t emit light; it reflects the sun’s. Its phases—new, crescent, quarter, gibbous, full. Our emotional "phases" are not always self-driven but are reflections of external influences.

In this work, I explore how shifts in intimacy affect our sense of self. Just as the sun’s changing light creates different phases of the moon, it becomes clear that in intimate relationships, one’s actions and the way they treat others directly influence the other person.

In 2025, this work was exhibited in Pairs, France, under the exhibit name '' Intersecting Realities'' .

Urban Paradoxes: A Collection by Yixuan (Nico) Wang

Yixuan (Nico) Wang, born in 1996 in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, draws profound inspiration from the idea that individuals are shaped by their surroundings. This perspective lies at the core of her artistic vision. Having grown up in developing cities within a rapidly changing China, Yixuan’s early photographic works are deeply intertwined with the urban landscapes of a nation in transition. The collision of political slogans with the rhythms of daily life, the friction between ideals and reality, and the contrast between beauty and ugliness are recurring themes that not only define her work but also reflect how she perceives the world.

Between 2014 and 2018, Yixuan embarked on an introspective journey across various cities in China, capturing the subtle tensions and serendipitous intersections between urban development and human existence. Through the lens of conceptual photography, Yixuan's work explores the nuanced relationship between rapidly evolving cityscapes and the people who inhabit them.

In this collection, Yixuan’s work blends visual metaphors with genuine lived experiences. Her photographs feel like an attempt to awaken from a suppressed dream, capturing moments that reflect both a quiet resistance against dominant ideologies and a bittersweet nostalgia for memories that can never be relived.

In 2018, this work was exhibited in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, under the exhibit name "Made in China".