In vibrant jewel-tones, Ming Ying captures romantic and psychedelic scenes of desire within social gatherings—picnics, parties, dinner. These compositions, primarily group portraits, veer at times into the realm of abstract, dreamy, and non-real. Heavily impastoed in oil paint, Ying is ever prodding us into psychological and emotional territory. She begins, holding a character in her mind, then zeros in on a situation, say having tea. This all leads to color choices and churning on the canvas until she achieves just the right balance between atmosphere and narrative. The opulent application of paint is echoed in the choice of attire–frills and lace and flouncing hair recalling centuries past. Likewise Ying engages compositionally reminiscent motifs of late-19th century French painting.

Her subjects retain a layer of anonymity with blurred, indistinct faces, symbolizing complex tensions between presence, absence, alienation, and interiority. In other words, my body is here, but my mind is elsewhere. Ying’s mannequin-like figures, adorned in theatrical dress, situated in dramatic environments remain faceless, nameless, emotionally adrift—illuminating a tension between feelings of enjoyment and detachment. 

Born in China, living and working in London, far from home, Ying’s works contemplate unfamiliar environments and personal experiences of marginalization; she expresses a yearning, a longing for social connection through her depictions of cheerful sociality. Scale introduces uncertainty as well. Exceptionally ornamental and sensual, these are paintings you can hear: prattling coquettes, clinking stemware, hired musicians—the whispers, toasts, gossip, and jokes—if only pictures could talk.