Wedding Ritual #11: Fan de Fantastica

Fan de Fantastica

is the working name of the multi-talented artist Fan Yang (if in any doubt, read the paragraph below - I've known a few cross-disciplinary artists but none with such a startlingly varied resumé...) Her friends in Spain started calling her 'Fan de Fantastica' as a nickname - and she liked it so much, she claimed it for herself.

Fan's academic background is in film. A graduate in film music & sound design from Beijing Film Academy, she has worked on a number of feature films and documentaries, progressing to an MA in Filmmaking from London Film School. At this time she worked in theatres including the Royal Opera House and former Millennium Dome - then studied luxury bag design in Milan and flamenco dress making in Seville. Fan is also a pianist, a traditional tea artist, and a ballet dancer(!) She says, "One way or another, somehow I've mixed all these weird experiences into my collages (and my films). For me, one piece of collage is like a whole film. Each individual element is like a single shot (in a film). I select them carefully, put them together in a certain way, so each of them can tell a complete story."

Here is Fan de Fantastica's Wedding Ritual, in her own words:

Something Old

"Wu Xing was the first mini series collage I ever created. This project was about the dynamic relationship between human beings and our mother planet, and how the pollution which, caused by our irresponsible behaviour, has affected the planet. 

"Wu Xing, in Chinese culture - also known as 'five movements' or 'five elements' - is the short form of "the five types of chi dominating at different times". The system of Wu Xing was used for describing interactions and relationships between phenomena. These five phases are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, which are ever-changing material forces in space and in time."

Something New

Planet Z

Come Fly With Me

Crystal Heart

Something Everything

Summer Wave

As Bright as Sirius

"Recently I've lost a close family member. And this unfortunate change forced me to face death, separation, and cultural differences, which I would usually try to avoid. I started this new series full of my longing for the dead, and my hidden fears and resistance. Although the surface is decorative with bright colours, the depths are full of pain, whispers, and a new perception of life."

Something Borrowed

Work by Julio Galeote; reproduced with permission

"I'd like to introduce one very special person, fine art photographer Julio Galeote.

"I didn't know anything about collage before knowing Julio, and I didn't believe that I could actually create real art with collages. He inspired me and brought me into the world of collage. He saw my first series Wu Xing and encouraged me to keep on exploring in this way. During these years, my works were/are inspired by many great artists in all different areas, but Julio is always the one I appreciate the most."

Something Blue

"Always stay weird (and naughty), and be proud of it - Golden Rule No.1."

If you're now a fan, you can see more of Fan de Fantastica's fantastic work on her website and follow her on Instagram for regular updates.

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Wedding Ritual is an ongoing series of artist profiles curated and edited by Wes Viola. For updates, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The blog is open to submissions from visual artists, musicians, writers, dancers, sculptors, filmmakers and all kinds of creative practitioner. For more details of what's going on here, check our 'what is this?' page.

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Wedding Ritual #12 will be conducted by the medieval maestro, Rebecca Bain.