BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Valkyrie Yao is a multidisciplinary artist, scholar, and educator whose work bridges the ancient wisdom of Eastern philosophies with contemporary methodologies. Straddling the cultural dimensions of East and West, Yao crafts immersive, multi-sensory experiences that weave together movement, installation, and film. Steeped in the teachings of Daoism and Tibetan Buddhism, Yao’s practice creates containers that unravel the delicate interplay between cultural preservation and innovation, presence and absence, seen and unseen.

Yao’s artistic vision is centered on an unwavering reverence for both nature and the ethereal, where every piece functions as a conduit connecting audiences to the liminal spaces between the known and the unknown. With a deep respect for their ancestral heritage, they seek to unearth and revitalize the wisdom of their forebears, reimagining it in ways that challenge contemporary understandings of identity, power, and the human condition. Through their art, Yao invites the viewer into spaces where unfamiliarity is not only explored but becomes an extension of the self, fostering moments of introspection, transformation, and connection.

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Yao’s work has garnered national and international acclaim, presented on prominent stages and in renowned institutions. Their work I SEE was showcased at National Sawdust in New York City (2024), with upcoming 2025 performances at Dixon Place Theatre and The Tank NYC (New York City), Ruth Page Center for the Arts (Chicago), and the Detroit Institute of Arts. They are also invited to be an artist-in-residence with the MATCH Residency at the Los Angeles Dance Festival and the 2025 Choreographers’ Institute with McKoy Dance Project in New York City, where they will present new work at both Abrons Arts Center and the Mark Morris Dance Center.

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Their dance film Insert Coin to Play was officially selected for the 32nd Beijing International Film Festival and received the New Youth Feature Film Award at the 2025 New Youth International Dance Film Festival. It also won Best Dance Video Art Film at the 2025 The Way Dance Video Art Exhibition, affirming their cross-disciplinary approach to dance and film. Yao’s exhibitions and performances have also been featured at the Phoenix Art Museum (2022) and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (2023). Their short film What’s Left won Best Short Film at the 2023 SWIFF Film Festival, highlighting their talent for merging cinematic storytelling with conceptual depth and spiritual resonance.

In 2024, Yao was invited to exhibit at the 2025 Florence Biennale XV in Italy, further cementing their global presence. This recognition underscores Yao’s growing influence as a leading force in multidisciplinary art-making, crafting immersive experiences that interweave visual and philosophical narratives while challenging conventional notions of identity and expression.

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Yao’s research has been recognized with numerous international honors. She has been nominated for the Outstanding Dance Education Researcher Award in the 2025 cycle by the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) and will present her research at the 2025 NDEO National Conference in Detroit. From 2018 to 2021, she received the National Scholarship from the China Scholarship Council, Ministry of Education. In 2024, she was awarded the Outstanding Research Award by the ASU Graduate Student Government. Yao is also the 2025 Interdisciplinary Arts Fellow with Ballet Arizona. In addition, they are a member of the International Dance Council (CID), which is an official partner of UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – further affirming their active engagement with global dance research and advocacy.

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As a true traveler between worlds—both physical and metaphysical—Yao continues to redefine the landscape of contemporary art, embodying a dynamic fusion of cultural heritage, spiritual philosophy, and the complexities of modern existence. Their practice extends beyond performing and visual arts—it is an act of excavation, a reimagining of overlooked wisdom in contemporary forms. Their work exists as a vessel, a portal, an invitation to step into the liminal, where unfamiliarity transforms into familiarity.