Only those artists who transcend mediocrity

are worthy
of suffering

A man in a black suit with a striped shirt, black tie, and sunglasses standing in front of a colorful abstract watercolor painting.

About Yao Tao

Tao Yao is a Chinese-born Canadian artist. In the 1990s, he was shaped by the encounter between Chinese traditions and Western avant-garde movements. While deeply inspired by Western painting, he has remained committed to exploring the expressive potential of rice paper. His practice integrates traditional materials with contemporary sensibilities, emphasizing simplicity and poetic resonance over theoretical complexity.

MFA, China Central Academy of Fine Arts
Beijing, 2007

BFA, China Academy of Art
Hangzhou, 1992

yaotao999@yahoo.com

+1 905-321-2346