Chinese photographer Ren Hang has died aged 29

Date
24 February 2017
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Ren Hang
Courtesy of Foam

Renowned and controversial Chinese photographer Ren Hang has died aged 29. He was born in 1987 in Changchun, China, and resided in Beijing.

The news has yet to be confirmed officially but many of Ren’s collaborators and friends have commented, including publisher Pierre Bessard who said: “My friend Ren Hang left us this morning in Berlin, I am sad and shocked.”

Belgian publication De Morgen has reported that he committed suicide, citing “entourage sources”. Dutch newspaper Het Parool quoted Foam director Marloes Krijnen as saying “we are in shock”. His work is currently subject of a solo show at the Amsterdam gallery.

Known for his explicit and sexual photographs, his work aimed to fight censorship, and as a result his photos have repeatedly been defaced or removed from exhibitions, and Ren was arrested on multiple occasions in China. Despite this, he achieved worldwide acclaim at a relatively young age.

We recently wrote about Same Paper’s magazine Food Issue featuring previously unpublished work by Ren, showcasing his provocative approach.

Above

Ren Hang

Above

Ren Hang

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Jenny Brewer

Jenny oversees our editorial output across work, news and features. She was previously It’s Nice That's news editor. Get in touch with any big creative stories, tips, pitches, news and opinions, or questions about all things editorial.

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