Cao Yang’s first client was a garage owner in Beijing. He shaved the man’s head bald. It was an inauspicious start for a man who would soon become a stylist of the stars. His career started in the 2000s, and skyrocketed faster than the Chinese economy.

Hairdressing is a career that Cao Yang’s family once looked down upon. They wanted him to become an engineer. Little did they know that it would propel Cao Yang to a bigger career than any engineer could dream of.

Hui once asked Confucius, “Why do people trust the master even though he doesn’t speak?” Trust is built on actions. Words will always betray the speaker.

Cao Yang will explore the silent trust between himself and the person the other side of his scissors. Hair is a medium that grows slowly, and presents dangers to the sculptor. But the confident sculptor takes no risks. Michelangelo did not break a sweat, even during the last chip of the chisel as he polished David into a glorious young man.

After twelve years of training in this field, Cao Yang wants to challenge the limit of this trust, working David into a peeping king.

The artist will invite the audience to participate in a live haircut performance at the 1/f space in New York. Antithetical to the salon culture, the participants will not have any form of communication with the artist during the performance. The scissors the noun, their movement the verb that completes the sentence.

We will explore what people can communicate without words. The gallery space will be populated by Cao Yang, his paintings, and his clients.

Please RSVP: Free general admission. To participate in the Haircut live performance, please register through this page. Registration will close once the ledger is filled. Any tips will serve as tax deductible donations to Kwah Dao, an NGO serving stateless refugees from Myanmar.

PLEASE NOTE: You are automatically agreed to the haircut result once you register to participate in the Haircut live performance.

Learn more about Tao Xian and Haircut.