Lanyi Gao
These ceramic sculptures were cast from a Bert (character from Sesame Street) plush doll bought from a thrift store. On the top side of Treat I is a guide about how to kiss a girl. On the other side, there are words about how people verbally abuse their partners. The Treat II is a site-specific sculpture located in a trash can. This series of works express the suffering during a relationship. It doesn't have explicit content, but the situation and the pieces' expression could resonate with people who had related experiences.
Lanyi Gao
BFA Fine Arts: 2021; MFA Fine Arts: 2023
Gao Lanyi is a conceptual artist based in New York, NY dedicated to facilitating constructive dialogues based on shared female experiences. In her most recent work, Gao explores the balance between righteousness and sarcasm. Appropriating My Melody, a 90s cartoon character from the Japanese company Sanrio, the artist brings forth her own cultural perspective when considering female power. Sparking an uncanny dialogue between My Melody and the viewer, Gao infuses an atypical charm and wittiness into the cutesy feminine icon. She attempts to transform the grief of gender inequality into positive energy by speaking to the often disheartening realities of female presenting individuals via this traditionally tender lens.