English | 中文
Yao Hui (simplified Chinese: 姚辉; traditional Chinese: 姚輝) (b. 1979), born and raised on the loess plateau in northwest China (Lanzhou, Gansu Province) spent his first six years experiencing the remote countryside life. The characteristic physical environment and customs shaped his enthusiasm, outgoing and unconstrained character. He always knew he wanted to be an artist before he studied Fine Art in high school. From 1995, Yao started professional training in Fine Art at Northwest Normal University during each school holiday until 1998, when he became an undergraduate art and design student. In 2002, Yao Hui moved to south China to start his teaching career at Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University. Yao has been enchanted by Chinese traditional culture, water ink painting and calligraphy from childhood, and also became fascinated in western art and philosophy, British contemporary art and Chinese contemporary art during his working life.
In the summer of 1998 while on holiday, Yao used his uncle's automatic camera to take his first photograph. From 2004, Yao decided to develop his interest in photography. Self-taught, Yao gradually mastered fundamental technique and theory of photography. In 2007, Yao made a forty days trip in the UK. Strange environment and unique experiences made a big impact on him and in the following three years, Yao just concentrated on learning English in order to come to the UK to further his study in photography. In 2010, Yao Hui became a postgraduate student in contemporary art photography at Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh. In 2011, Yao's work "Glamis Castle, Angus, UK, 22 May 2011" (form series Mirage) has been selected for exhibition Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2011.
Education:
MA in Photography
2010-2011 Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh
BA in Advertising and Graphic Design
1998-2002 Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics
Employment:
Director, Photography and Media Lab
Lecturer, Photography and Graphic Design
2002-2010 Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University
Official Photographer
2011 Edinburgh International Film Festival
Exhibitions:
2011 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2011, National Portrait Gallery, London, UK
2011 Fresh Cream, Opus Art Gallery, Newcastle, UK
2011 Cheers 2011 - UK China Art and Design Festival, Great Western Studios, London, UK
2011 In Between Something and Nothing - Degree Show, Edinburgh College of Art, UK
2011 Belong, CO2 Project Space, Edinburgh College of Art, UK
2011 Foam Collective, The Henderson Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
2009 Campfire, Nospace Art Gallery, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
2008 Every Picture Has A Story, Ofpix Photography Gallery, Beijing, China
2008 Pingyao International Photography Festival, Shanxi Province, China
2008 Photo Camp 2, Canon Communication Space, Beijing, China
2007 Pingyao International Photography Festival, Shanxi Province, China
2007 The Third Young Artists Exhibition, Ningbo Museum of Art, Zhejiang Province, China
2006 The Second Young Artists Exhibition, Ningbo Museum of Art, Zhejiang Province, China
2004 Suzhou Image 2004, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
2003 Art and Design Exhibition of Ningbo Educational System, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
2001 Exhibition of Award-Winning Advertising, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
2000 The First Youth Art and Design Exhibition, Gansu Museum, Gansu Province, China
Publications:
Chinese Photography
China Entrepreneur
Oriental Elite
Commissions:
University of Edinburgh
Ningbo Shangri-La Hotel
FOTILE Kitchen Ware
JACK Holding Group
Scholarship:
Scotland's Saltire Scholarship