Zackery Yao 姚子骅

“爱，癌 ài, ái (Love, Cancer)” intertwines the silent battle against cancer with the cultural silence imposed by 面子 (miànzi, or “face”). This installation recontextualizes family archives and medical film photography against images of urban decay, merging internal and environmental neglect. Inspired by my mother’s fight with breast cancer, the work engages Asian feminism to critique the devaluation of women’s health. This journey of self-healing challenges the norms of silence and resilience and advocates for a discourse on health, gender, and environmental consciousness. This project is a tribute to enduring strength and a call to break the silence. Overall, it’s about love.

Zackery Yao (b. 2002) is a multidisciplinary artist whose photographic works reflect his multicultural narrative. Yao takes a philosophical approach to topics including inequality, conflict, health, Chinese queerness, and race.