Having been diagnosed with autism at the age of five, developmental disabilities and a lack of linguistic skills often hindered Siyoung Yang’s ability to relate in the social world. Fortunately, art graced his life and emerged as a means for him to communicate previously muted sentiments, an experimental spirit, and a beautiful mind so often marginalized and overlooked.

As a visitor in foreign lands, the absence of language was offset for Siyoung, artistic communication became smoother, and for the first time, passers-by empathized with his creative flair without prejudice or resistance.

In 2018, Siyoung spent a month in Goa as part of a young artist incubator. Alongside his global contemporaries, he spent the days mingling, meditating, and musing over the pristine expressions of nature all around. Fast-forward to 2022, and Siyoung immersed in New York’s cutting-edge art scene for six months, visiting mega galleries like Hauser & Wirth, interacting with the street art of Chelsea NYC, and imbibing the sheer elegance of billboards in Times Square. Most recently, he participated in a solo exhibition at the Korean Cultural Center in Istanbul, arriving early to sample high-tier Islamic culture and flaunt his impressions in a typically playful and unpretentious fashion.

Wandering more than 10,000 steps per day, Siyoung observes the trees and flowers, frolics with animals in the streets, and greets people in the neighborhood with a smile. As a self-proclaimed “Heartism” artist, his stereotype-defying body of work reinterprets everyday events and landmark experiences with touching honesty and youthful exuberance. His exaggerated forms and wonderfully relatable subjects constitute an exceptional sphere of belonging, as seen through the idiosyncratic eyes of a truly transnational savant.

LV WOMAN (2022). MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS. 183 X 153CM.

WOMAN 1 (2022). MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS. 60.6 X 60.6CM.

THINKING FROG (2018). KOREAN INK ON PAPER. 68 X 68CM.

FOUR FLOWERS (2018). KOREAN INK ON PAPER. 68 X 68CM.

Discover more of Siyoung’s works in Issue 4 of our magazine!