Defamiliarization and Surrealism: Contemporary Artist Wen-Ying ‘Jonah’ Yang's Visionary Odyssey Through Colour and Composition

Wen-Ying Yang (Jonah Yang) • 21 November 2025

Artist Wen-Ying Yang (Jonah Yang), a cutting-edge Taiwanese Contemporary Artist  residing in London, United Kingdom. He graduated from Kingston University London  with a Master's degree in Art & Space. He has exhibited his artworks in numerous  galleries and non-commercial spaces in the UK and internationally. His original large  oil paintings "Starry Sky Series" caught the attention of a Chinese art direction team,  leading to an invitation to reveal his paintings and create on-site in Ningbo, Zhejiang,  China. As a result, His artworks have appeared and been featured on multinational  art platforms in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, showcasing his  dedication and creative energy on a global stage.

Artist Jonah Yang takes a relatively "classical" approach to art within the diverse  landscape of contemporary art. His work is delicate yet strong, intense, and sharp. I  (the writer) would describe it as "It's a violet-blue lightning bolt, carrying a  thunderous intensity and a haunting shadowy beauty."

Painting, as a medium of expression, inherently has some limitations. It lacks the  precision of words and the immersive quality of music, with viewing angles and  distances affecting its perception. However, painting holds the inherent advantage of  artistic expression. Compared to narrative in text, image-based storytelling moves  away from the practicality of everyday language, giving painting a more literary  quality (the artistic quality of formalism). Presented within a limited space, Jonah  Yang's visual language functions like quotation marks, focusing the narrative while  encapsulating the tension created by the imagery.

The sense of "boundary" is unique to visual art (this painting above), serving as an  anchor in time and space, like a window. Artist Jonah Yang's structural treatment of  boundaries is particularly distinctive, often showing objects in his paintings with a  "towering" presence.

From the perspective of "existential structure" (Existenzialien), narrative relies on the  presence of a viewer. Even with the time gap between creation and viewing,  paintings are somewhat made for the exhibition space. In contemporary analysis, the  focus shifts from "author-centered" to "viewer-centered" perspectives, and Jonah  Yang exemplifies both. His artworks are less about providing answers, but more about posing questions.


In today's artistic climate, creators emphasize prompting "viewer response,"  transforming from problem solvers to problem setters. His work presents narratives 


that are relatively obscure, prolonging the aesthetic experience and offering viewers  more opportunities for association. 

"Even impossible things constantly happen in this world."


Surrealist artists are not mere dream weavers crafting illusions but re-creators who  closely engage with the world. Their sensitivity and persistence defy numbness and  conventions, creating works with a sense of restlessness or melancholy, which Jonah  Yang's artworks best epitomize these.


In the layout of Jonah Yang’s compositions, he deliberately weakens the hierarchical  relationship between elements, avoiding the conventional central composition logic.  This intentional lack of premeditated composition adds immediacy and simultaneity  to his artworks.


Viewing Jonah Yang's art evokes a "sense of detachment from reality" yet  simultaneously stirs a "strong sense of familiar perception." This deliberate narrative  strategy uses unconventional colours and textures (his precise use of purple-blue, a  rare natural colour) to achieve "defamiliarization." Yet, it remains tied to everyday  language (such as playgrounds, toys, cartoons), creating a "perceivable unfamiliarity"  that results in scenes more dreamlike than dreams themselves, achieving a  dreamcore effect.


In a poetic sense, "All inescapable dreams scatter with irretrievable memories,  whether beautiful or unbearable, immersing one in the illusion of time reversing."  The aesthetic of surrealist art lies in this very quality. 

Wen-Ying Yang (Jonah Yang) is an innovative Taiwanese Contemporary Visual Artist  based in London. He graduated from Kingston University London with a Master's  degree in Art & Space.


In addition to Jonah Yang’s outstanding achievements that are mentioned at the  beginning of this article, he has displayed exceptional artistic talents from a very  young age, winning numerous awards. At the age of 17, Jonah Yang won First Place  globally in the “Live Your Dream” International Commemorative Art Competition  organized by U.S. Soroptimist, focusing on the theme of “Remarkable Women,” he  stood out among all artists from 19 countries worldwide. His award-winning painting  was printed and sold as charity merchandise, with all proceeds donated to  international charitable organisations and institutions. 


Jonah Yang's artworks have gained international attention, having been exhibited in  Japan and South Korea, as well as in the UK at venues such as the Stanley Picker  Gallery, The Swan Studio, and Tate Modern. With extensive exhibition experiences,  he collaborated with Georgian and Luxembourg artists who visited Taiwan for a  cross-cultural exhibition at VT Artsalon in 2018. He has been interviewed by KK  NEWS, The Commons Daily, Mandarin Daily News, The Liberty Times, United Daily  News, China Times, and World Satellite TV; his artworks are currently collected and  held in the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum.


Recently, Jonah Yang has been invited by many schools and art institutions in the UK  to share his inspiring and creative skills for art creations. He also served as a primary  judge for the art competition at West Thames College in London. Moreover, although 


Jonah Yang resides in London, his artworks are currently on long-term display,  exhibiting at two galleries in Taiwan: The Light Art Gallery and De.Light Art Gallery.

Artist Wen-Ying ‘Jonah’ Yang’s Website: 

https://wenying1996.wixsite.com/jonahyang-finearts 

Artist Wen-Ying ‘Jonah’ Yang’s Instagram Art Profile: 

@jonah.yang.finearts 


About Art Critic – Ivan Li:


Ivan Li, a professional contemporary art critic, was born in 1994 in a military village. Graduated from the Graduate Institute of Art at the National Taipei University of  Education. The art platform he operates: Taipei Art Critic


(https://www.threads.net/@shelter_artwork) has over 200,000 words of art critiques  accumulated so far. Ivan Li currently serves as an editor for Art Map, which is an art  magazine. (Note: Founded in 2003, Art Map is dedicated to promoting, documenting,  and connecting the art and cultural activities in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and  other regions. The magazine explores new knowledge in art, offering readers  contemporary cultural trends and insights through accessible reporting.)

Daniel Varela

by Daniel Varela • 2 November 2025
Daniel Varela is a talented Argentine visual artist and fine art photographer who immerses himself in a universe of creativity through visual expression. His passion for art and photography drives him to explore new perspectives and innovative approaches, with the purpose of capturing beauty in all its fullness. With a dynamic spirit and a forward-thinking vision, he has ventured into contemporary art inspired by new digital processes. Through the use of advanced technologies, he has created unique and captivating works that challenge the boundaries of creativity. His artistic production has become a source of inspiration for other creators and photography enthusiasts, establishing a valuable contribution to the world of art and culture. 

Tianyun Zhao: Gentle Rebellions in a Digital Age

by Tianyun Zhao • 30 October 2025
London-based moving image artist and photographer Tianyun Zhao (Yano) creates works that drift between stillness and transformation, where memory becomes light and time turns tactile. Her practice navigates the intersections of image, perception, and identity, revealing how the digital age reshapes our sense of the self and the spaces we inhabit. Drawing from Eastern philosophy and the rhythms of urban life, Zhao constructs visual worlds that exist between reality and imagination — contemplative yet quietly rebellious. Through the fusion of lens-based imagery, AI-generated fragments, and fashion-inflected aesthetics, she invites viewers into atmospheres where emotion and technology merge in a delicate equilibrium. “I see my work as a dialogue between the visible and the invisible — a meditation on how we remember, and how we are remembered,” Zhao reflects. Expanding the Language of Moving Image Zhao’s practice has been presented internationally across galleries, festivals, and digital platforms. Her recent exhibitions include Field of Clarity at Photofusion Gallery (London, 2025), Broken Silence at Summerhall – In Vitro Gallery (Edinburgh, 2025), The Green Grammar Exhibition at art’otel Hoxton Gallery (London, 2025), and Fragments of the Past, Futures Unfolding at Normanou 3 (Athens, 2025). She also participated in Video Edition ArtIn as part of The Wrong Biennale (London, 2025), a globally recognised platform for digital and post-internet art. Zhao’s work has appeared in publications such as Artist Talk Magazine (Issue 39, 2025) and Viridine Literary Issue 03 (UK, 2025), reflecting her expanding presence in both gallery and online contexts. 

Nyll Axis

by Nyll Axis • 27 October 2025
Nyll Axis is the pseudonym of an artist who prefers to remain incognito. His paintings emerge as nameless presences moving through shifting layers of perception. There are no stories, no time — only appearances and disappearances. What remains are abstract glyphs with the illusion of meaning: thresholds, lines, dissolving architectures. These are not narratives but signals, pointing beyond knowledge toward the vanishing wall of the self.

Hollow Mountain

by Ziyi Huang • 30 September 2025
Ziyi Huang is a Chinese oil painting artist. His recent works are mainly landscapes inspired by his travels. He received Bachelor's and Master's degrees from China Academy of Art, where he is now studying for a Doctoral degree. He participated in an artist residency at Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France from 2018-2019, and studied at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, USA as an international exchange student in 2024. His paintings have been exhibited in China, Japan, France, UK, Canada, Italy and Latvia, and he has held solo exhibitions in Hangzhou and Xiamen, China. He is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA), International Council of Visual Arts (ICVA), 90' Creative Art Society, Zhejiang Artists Association and Zhejiang Association of Oil Painters. 

Daniel Agra

by Daniel Agra • 7 September 2025
Daniel Agra is Spanish artist of abstract and fine art photography. In the artistic field his work is defined as subjective, experimental and conceptual expressionist visual poetry, with a profound imaginative capacity and endowed with strong intuition. Defined by a resounding individual and experimental personal mark that allows him to mentally project a great deal of his compositions with a language and style full of symbolism. The defined perception and emotional depth of his work should be highlighted reflecting his interest in the subconscious, abandoned methods, dialogues and conventional and traditional photographic narratives which transcend their state to be symbolised in a deep analysis, to be recreated into a poetic frontier between the material and the spiritual, between man and the environments he inhabits, distinctive elements that emphasise the communicative character in his allegorical symbology and relative to the inner world, raising it to levels of evocative spirituality in transcendental and vindictive themes, on the existential importance of the individual in his creative freedom, a personal form of contemporary expression that does not bow to the established norms, an archetype through a vocabulary with meticulously selected images and iconographies. Over time, his works have achieved wide appreciation, recognition and international dissemination. The more than 50 awards and international honour mentions of photography that he has achieved during his career should be emphasised, he has shown his work and participated in exhibitions across various countries, as well as published in assorted media and international art guides. His work can be found in national and international museums, foundations and private art and photography collections. 

Mary Joy Manuel

by Tension & Release: A Spontaneous Series Born from Stillness • 10 August 2025
This ten-piece body of work, created on fine art paper (21 x 14.5 cm), explores the emotional and societal tensions that shape our collective experience. Using acrylics, graphite, and charcoal pencils, each painting captures dynamic movement through vibrant palettes—juxtaposing warm and cool tones to evoke contrast and conflict. Black graphite and charcoal lines cut through the compositions like fractures, symbolizing resistance, boundaries, and the desire to break free from imposed limitations. The negative space, softly blended with graphite, adds depth and quiet intensity, while ghost markings—my signature underpainting technique—linger beneath the surface, hinting at unseen histories and layered emotions. These subtle traces speak to the persistence of memory and identity, even when obscured.

Sahar Hasan: Artist and Curator

by Sahar Hasan • 25 July 2025
Sahar Hasan is a artist and curator whose work brings hidden emotions and overlooked stories into view. Her practice moves between painting, mixed media, and curation, always tracing the quiet spaces where memory, identity, and heritage meet.

Victoria Moses: Grand Era

by Victoria Moses • 24 July 2025
Victoria Moses: Grand Era  Victoria Moses, born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1990, is a student at the Art Academy Hamburg, where she engages with diverse artistic media, including painting, sculpture, and digital art. Her work is characterized by a profound exploration of perception and identity search, focusing on the relationships individuals establish within society. Through her use of both vivid, figurative oil paintings and monochromatic charcoal drawings, she examines how people integrate or distance themselves in various social contexts, adopting different roles that shape their self-expression and interactions. Her latest series, Grand Era, is deeply influenced by her experience working on an ocean liner - an enduring symbol of intercontinental connection as it was in the early 20th century. Within this series, Moses portrays individuals navigating multiple societal roles, shifting fluidly between personal and professional identities. A single person may simultaneously function as a professional, a family member, a friend, and a community participant, with each role reflecting distinct expectations and responsibilities dictated by their environment. Through these themes, Moses explores the complexities of human adaptability and the intricate balance required to meet the demands of social existence. Her art contributes to broader discussions on identity, social roles, and the evolving nature of interpersonal relationships.

Ashwani Verma, Busking Piccadilly Circus

by Grant Milne • 24 July 2025
Critics Review: The artist's exceptional talent is evident in their masterful control of watercolour, a medium notorious for its difficulty. The painting demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of light and atmosphere, using the medium's transparency to create a luminous, hazy glow over Piccadilly Circus. This is expertly contrasted with the sharp, dramatic shadows, showcasing a remarkable ability to create depth and a sense of time. The seemingly effortless washes of colour for the background and the energetic brushstrokes for the performers perfectly balance delicate subtlety with bold expression, a clear sign of a highly skilled watercolorist. Furthermore, the artist excels at capturing the emotion and energy of the scene, not just its physical form. The dynamic poses and loose, impressionistic style of the musicians suggest movement and rhythm, as if the music is about to pour from the frame. The artist has a rare gift for distilling the essence of an urban scene—its constant motion and the unexpected joy of a street performance—and conveying it with a powerful sense of atmosphere and narrative. This ability to imbue a painting with such a strong sensory experience is a true testament to their talent. Critics - Grant Milne - Founder of Artist Talk Magazine

LAURENTIU STROE

by EMOTION IN EVERY LAYER • 4 July 2025
Laurențiu STROE is a Romanian painter known for his raw, expressive style and textured surfaces. His artwork stands out through thick layers of paint, powerful brushstrokes and pallette knives, and a strong emotional presence. Using the impasto technique, STROE applies paint so heavily that it creates a sculptural texture, adding depth and movement to the canvas.