Outside the Window, Inside the Tank
窗外缸里



            A month into moving to New York City from Chengdu, China, artist Yuhan Cheng stumbled upon an empty fish tank abandoned on a curb. It reminded them of the rotating fish in a tank that faded into the background of their mother’s home. In their room, Cheng developed their first nude self-portrait. Seeing themselves floating in the photo developer reminded them of their body as a container and the many fish that passed fleetingly through their life. “I inhabit my body as if I inhabit my room, and distance allows me to look back at what I call home. Just as my body and room serve as containers, so too does the city.”
          窗子外, 鱼缸里 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank is a merging of Cheng's works from the past three years, including 70 photographs, three short documentaries, and one installation. The title reflects the artist's exploration of displacement and the search for a sense of belonging, whether at home or in the city. From Chengdu to New York, Cheng uses photography and film to navigate their relationship with their body, their room, their intimacy, and their family.

Photo and Installation Project
2021-2024
Co-Curated with Lulu Yao Gioielllo




The Deterioration of Fish Tank, 2024
Black-and-white silver gelatin print on Ilford Multigrade RC Paper, Water, Mold, Wood, Glass Fish Tank
 20.07"L x 9.84"W x 12.6"H
Duration: 3 weeks

In The Deterioration of Fish Tank, a black-and-white silver gelatin nude self-portrait is submerged in a glass tank of water for a period of 3 weeks. Over this time, the photograph slowly deteriorates as the water dissolves the image, and mold begins to grow within the tank. This process of gradual decay reflects the fragility and impermanence of the self, as external forces—natural and uncontrollable—reshape and ultimately erase the carefully constructed image.




Outside the Window, 2024
RA-4 print on Kodak Endura Metallic Paper, fiberglass window screen
33.5 x 44 inches


Installation Shots by Shina Peng


© 2023 Yuhan Cheng