Kiliii Yuyan (American, b. 1979). The Next Whaler, 2017. From the series People of the Whale. Archival Pigment Print. Courtesy of the artist. © Kiliii Yuyan
Kiliii Yuyan (American, b. 1979). Nalukataq Blanket Toss, 2017. From the series People of the Whale. Archival Pigment Print. Courtesy of the artist. © Kiliii Yuyan
Kiliii Yuyan (American, b. 1979). Gift of the Whale, 2017. From the series People of the Whale. Archival Pigment Print. Courtesy of the artist. © Kiliii Yuyan
Kiliii Yuyan is an indigenous Hézhè and Chinese-American photographer, filmmaker, and journalist whose award-winning work has been published by the Nature Conservancy, NPR, Pacific Standard, and National Geographic Traveler. Yuyan's mission is to rewrite the narratives of minority and indigenous cultures—especially those who live close to the land. Against a backdrop of ecological upheaval, Yuyan shows us the essential connection to nature that has kept traditional cultures alive for millennia. His work presents an alternative vision of humanity’s greatest treasures—community, culture and the earth.
"As documentary photographer, you want to create enduring work, to be an insider, to see through the eyes of other cultures," Yuyan says.
From being adopted by an Inuit whaling family to becoming a shoulder to cry on for suicidal youth, Yuyan has gone deep into native communities to create photographs that are changing the perception of modern indigenous culture.
Generously sponsored by museum member Thomas N. Tischer.
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