Yan Rui

born in 1995 in Jiangsu, China, is currently based in Shanghai and Nanjing. She received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Visual Communication from Nanjing University of the Arts.

Her practice centers on the contemporary artistic application of traditional plant-based dyeing. Drawn to the interplay of ink and rainwater on rice paper as a child, and fascinated by the diffusion of blue ink in clear water, she was naturally captivated by the scent of plants and the evolving colors of botanical dyes over time. Inspired by subtle moments in daily life and natural phenomena, her work captures fleeting scenes in nature, exploring the interactions between plant dyes and various media. Through this process, she reflects on the relationship between materials, nature, and humanity.

Material |

Indigo, persimmon lacquer, paper, beach waste and other mixed materials

Dimensions variable

My hometown is a coastal city that hosts the world's largest nuclear power plant in terms of installed capacity. The Fukushima nuclear disaster and the subsequent discharge of contaminated water into the ocean have deeply affected the emotions of its residents. The release of nuclear wastewater has led to varying degrees of pollution in the soil, air, and marine life beneath the sea.

This artwork employs indigo and kakishibu to dye paper—two plant-based pigments symbolizing two seemingly identical types of water. It visually represents the different levels of contamination beneath the ocean’s surface. The discarded waste on the shore and the nuclear wastewater are both consequences of human actions. Beyond addressing the impact of nuclear pollution, this work seeks to emphasize how human behavior fundamentally shapes the fate of the ocean.