p. 41
Social media is ablaze this afternoon with news that Chinese photographer Ren Hang has passed away. Though no official reports have been published, fans are already mourning the loss of one of contemporary photography’s most revolutionary creatives.
Born in 1987 and based in Beijing, Hang built a career centred around erotic, high-flash imagery that pushed boundaries not only in his homeland, but around the globe. His taboo-laden photos often featured nude women atop towering buildings or men with their penises fully erect. The fashion industry quickly took note, and Hang received many high-profile gigs including fashion editorials with Numéro China, Frank Ocean‘s magazine Boys Don’t Cry and even Purple. These collaborations with the style-set led many fans to draw comparisons between Hang’s work and that of American photographer Terry Richardson. When asked how he felt about this by Dian Hanson, editor of his recently released photobook with Taschen, Hang replied: “I don’t quite care about comparing me or my work to anyone.”
Evasive answers such as this one are common with Hang, a man who was never shy about his severe depression. The artist even dedicated a section of his website to the topic, offering visitors a look into his innermost thoughts through a series of diary-like prose. An entry dated 17 August 2015 consists of one simple yet devastating line that reads: “Every time on the subway, there is an urge to jump.”
Scroll through the image gallery below for a selection of captivating images from Ren Hang’s new photobook:
p. 01
p. 18
p. 78
p. 135
p. 152
p. 206
p. 267
p. 135
p. 281
Ren Hang, edited by Dian Hanson, is available for purchase on Taschen’s website