Yafeng Duan (b. 1973, Hebei, China) lives and works in Berlin, Germany. She began studying traditional Chinese painting at an early age under the guidance of her father, training in both Xieyi (freehand) and Gongbi (meticulous) techniques. She later attended the Chinese Painting Department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. In 2004, she moved to Germany to further her studies, pursuing formal education at Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, Bauhaus University Weimar, and the University of Fine Arts. She currently teaches at Bauhaus University Weimar.
Duan's practice is rooted in the traditions of Chinese painting, while her artistic language has gradually matured within the German context. She is particularly known for her large-scale works, in which a nuanced handling of light and density gives rise to a dualistic tension derived from the ink painting tradition—a quality that lies at the core of her abstract painting. Duan's creative process is meditative in nature, articulated through gestural marks and multi-colour washes that have become her signature vocabulary. Avoiding direct depictions of figures, she integrates traditional techniques with contemporary media, allowing textures to emerge through processes of layering and disruption, evoking natural imagery such as mist, fissures, and fluid movement. Oscillating between figuration and abstraction, her works elicit associations with nature, life, and the flow of energy. Duan's practice is both an exploration of visual language and a poetic response to her perception of nature and spirituality.
Recent solo exhibitions include: Illuminations, Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland (2024); Lucid, Lechbinska Gallery, Zurich (2024); Form of the Formless, Michael Janssen Gallery, Berlin (2023); Yafeng Duan – Neue Bilder, and Alexander Ochs Private, Berlin (2022) among others. Her work has also been featured in significant group exhibitions and art fairs in cities including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Paris, Brussels, and Sydney.