Yang Teng-Chi, known professionally as Manbo Key, was born into a large Hakka family in the Dongshi district of Taichung. Despite growing up in a small conservative town, his maverick father helped shape a relatively free and liberal environment, one where his intergenerational upbringing enabled him to develop a sense of individual agency at a young age. This background naturally formed Yang’s practice and research, with subject explorations that draw parallels to the ever-changing world. His practice is driven by an examination of desire and a constant investigation of the self. In seeking to expand on understandings of identity and by engaging with contemporary discourse, Yang hopes to create spaces that allow for the coexistence of the body and soul. As a queer artist, Yang actively challenges the boundaries of social dichotomies and contributes to the evolving discussions around sex and gender in Asia. 

His current works span images and installations, using the medium of photography to re-evaluate and reconsider memories. In 2019, Yang’s work FATHER'S VIDEOTAPES won the Grand Prize at the Taipei Art Awards. An extension of that series, FATHER’S VIDEOTAPES_AVOID A VOID was shortlisted for the Taishin Arts Award in 2021. The third iteration, DIVERSE IDENTITIES_FATHER’S VIDEOTAPES, this most recent series was produced in 2022 with a refocus on his hometown and showcased in the Taiwanese-Lithuanian cultural exchange group exhibition COVERED REALITY: ARCHIVAL ORIENTATION AND IDENTITY IN TAIWANESE CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY.