Who Is Ren Hang (photographer)? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Born on March 30, 1987, Ren Hang would have been 38 years old in 2025. He emerged as a crucial figure in the photography world during the 2010s, known for his bold, surreal, and often erotic imagery. Ren Hang’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions worldwide, and his poetry reflects a similar spirit, marked by frankness and minimalism. In addition to his artistic endeavors, Ren's impactful narrative style illustrates his experiences and perspectives on love, life, and personal struggle.
| Occupation | Photographers |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | March 30, 1987 |
| Age | 29 Years |
| Birth Place | Changchun, Jilin, China |
| Horoscope | Aries |
| Country | China |
| Date of death | 24 February, 2017 |
| Died Place | Beijing, China |
Popularity
Ren Hang (photographer)'s Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While precise measurements of Ren Hang's height and weight are not widely documented, typically, he was considered of average stature by many peers. His distinctive presence often included vibrant clothing and styles that complemented his personality and photographic aesthetic.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
During his life, Ren Hang’s work often hinted at intimate and personal relationships, both romantic and platonic, but specific details about his dating life remain sparse. There is no public information available regarding any boyfriends, girlfriends, or significant others, likely due to his desire to maintain a level of personal privacy amidst his public life.
It has been mentioned that Ren's work is softcore pornography because of the degree of nudity and sex in it, but he also worked with other themes. The most famous was titled "My Mum".
Although still under a fetishistic atmosphere, posing with usual props in Ren's works like animals and plants, Ren's mother posed as a clothed model, in a light-hearted way to represent her daily life. Ren's photographs have been included in magazines L'Officiel, GQ Style, and Vice. He worked with fashion companies Gucci, Rick Owens, and Loewe.
Ren's work is included in Frank Ocean's magazine Boys Don't Cry.
Net Worth and Salary
Before his passing, estimates suggested Ren Hang’s net worth was in the range of $1 million to $5 million. His work was widely celebrated, contributing to various galleries and publications, and he engaged in artistic partnerships and exhibitions that enhanced his financial standing. Earnings could have stemmed from his photography sales, exhibitions, and poetry publications.
Career, Business, and Investments
Ren Hang was not just a photographer but also a poet, blending the two disciplines to create a unique artistic voice. His photographs often celebrated the human body with striking use of color and unconventional compositions. His portfolio includes a variety of styles and themes that continue to inspire new generations of photographers. Ren Hang's work has been featured in prominent art publications, and he left behind a legacy that continues to shape discussions of modern art and sexuality.
During Ren's incipient career, he was known mostly for nude photographic portraits of his friends. His work is significant for its representation of Chinese sexuality within a heavily censored society. For these erotic undertones, he was arrested by PRC authorities several times.
He received the backing of the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who included Ren in his 2013 Netherlands show, Fuck Off 2 The Sequel, and curated the photographer's 2014 exhibition in Paris, France. "The images are fresh, but also empty and superficial. They contain a deep sadness within", commented by Ai Weiwei on Ren's artworks.
Ren's erotic, playful and casual yet provocative expression gained him worldwide fame and recognition.
Social Network
Ren Hang was active on several social media platforms, utilizing them to share his work and connect with fans around the globe. His Instagram account, in particular, had garnered a substantial following, offering followers a glimpse into his creative process and artistic vision. Following his death, his social media accounts have become a means for admirers to remember his contributions and continue discussing his impact on the art community.
Questioning the purpose of his work, he once stated that his creation was a way to seek fun for both photographer and the photographed. However, once he had reached fame on an international level, he began to think deeply about his work.
The British Journal of Photography quoted him as once saying: "I don't want others having the impression that Chinese people are robots... Or they do have sexual genitals but always keep them as some secret treasures.
I want to say that our cocks and pussies are not embarrassing at all." Ren also focused on gender-noncomforming and transgender people in Chinese society by 'indeterminating' sex and gender in some of his work: a group of naked bodies stacked together, people shot from behind, men wearing silk stockings and wearing lipstick.
He denied having a preference in models: "Gender… only matters to me when I'm having sex." The international quarterly photography journal Aperture used his photo as the cover for its "Queer" theme.
Commentators also see his work, the naked body and the starched penis, as evolving sexual mores and the struggle for creative and sexual freedom in a conservative, tightly controlled society. But Ren also announced "I don't try to get a message across, I don't give my works names, I don't date them. I don't want to instill them with any vocabulary.
I don't like to explain my photos or work as a whole".
Education
Ren Hang studied at the China Academy of Art, where he honed his skills in photography and developed a keen artistic sensibility. His educational background provided him with the foundation that would enable him to create thought-provoking and visually stunning works that challenge societal norms.
In 2007, in order to relieve the boredom of studying advertising at college, he bought a point-and-shoot camera and began photographing his friends. As a self-taught photographer, he said his style of photography was inspired by the artist Shūji Terayama.
