Artist Profile

MO Yi

Mo Yi was born in Tibet in 1958. He was once a professional soccer player and later became a freelance photographer. He was active in Tianjin in the 1980s. After moving between various places including Tibet and Beijing, he currently resides in Jiangxi Province, China. Widely recognised as one of the most important artists of Chinese Contemporary Photography that emerged from 1980s, Mo captures the alienation and oppression of urban life in China, sometimes with himself intervening and appearing in the images. Mo has exhibited in many institutions and art festivals, including Les Rencontres d'Arles de la Photographie (Arles, France), UCCA Beijing (Beijing, China, 2024), Museum für Fotografie (Berlin, Germany, 2017), Three Shadow Photography Art Centre (Beijing, China, 2010), and the seminal travelling exhibition “Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from China” (International Centre of Photography, New York, USA, 2004–2006). Mo’s work is included in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, U.S.A, Chinese Image and Video Archive, Canada, Guangdong Museum, China, as well as private collections.

Publications & Prints