[1]: 108 His father had served in the Japanese Army, and was imprisoned by the Kuomintang after World War II, while his relatives were involved in the February 28 incident.
[1]: 109 Yang's father ran small manufacturing businesses with scant success, while his mother worked menial jobs.
[2] Yang studied painting at the Chinese Culture University from 1975 to 1979, and attended graduate school at the National Institute of the Arts in Taipei from 1999 to 2002.
[1]: 117 [5][6][7] After the turn of the millennium, he started to explore sculpture, blending Buddhist iconography with manga characters.
[8][9] Beyond numerous museum shows in Asia, Europe, and the US, Yang has participated in three collateral events at the Venice Biennale: the exhibition VOC: Handle with Care with Huang Yong Ping in 1999;[3] the solo show Temple of Sublime Beauty, Made in Taiwan in 2009;[9][10] and the exhibition Future Pass in 2011.