Photographer Ren Hang Dies Age 29
Social media is flooded with the news of Hang's passing, with close friends and collaborators paying tributes to the artist.
"Today we mourn the loss of Ren Hang, a talented and rising young photographer who passed away well before his time. @kleinsungallery was honored to host his solo exhibition last year and send our heartfelt condolences to all of his loved ones," writes gallery owner Eli Klein on Instagram.
Hang's last media update was made on Chinese website Weibo on February 23, to share his latest work with L'Officiel Malaysia for its March issue: a cover spread starring model and actress Rila Fukushima (pictured below). The raw, expressive images emanate his signature eroticism and charm.
Hang was a self-taught photographer who began in college by taking surreal nudes of friends. His overtly sexual work caused a lot of controversy in his homeland China, and the provocateur was championed by fellow artist Ai Wei Wei.
Heart Media mourns the loss of the bright and creative talent, who worked on projects with numerous magazines all over the world. One of his projects was with L’OFFICIEL Malaysia: he shot the cover of its March 2017 issue. In honour of this collaboration, L'Officiel Malaysia will be reprinting an additional 10,000 copies of its March 2017 issue to meet overwhelming demand from readers. Art Republik will also publish a special story of Ren Hang and his oeuvre in its Mar-May “Crossover” issue.
