Danny N.T. Yung
b. 1943, Shanghai, China
Tian Tian Xiang Shang, 2006
Polyresin
Courtesy Robert Lee and Eleanor Yung

Artist Danny N.T. Yung founded the Basement Workshop while studying urban planning at Columbia University. In the 1950s, Yung began drawing comics that featured an image of a little boy. Yung continued to create these comics while in New York. Yung named his comics Tian Tian Xiang Shang 天天向上, or “every day we look up,” which reflects the phrase stated by Mao Zedong in 1951. The boy featured in Yung’s comics evolved to become a signature, and he titled the figure after Mao’s phrase. The figure, which depicts the young boy looking and pointing up, has been displayed in different forms around the world. The sculptures, such as the one shown here, are intended to inspire creativity in those viewing the work. Yung now lives in Hong Kong, where he has served as director of the collective Zuni Icosahedron since 1985.