Stark, erotic images of Chinese youth stirs controversy

When you look at the photographs, the first thing you notice are the naked, pale, Chinese youths -- wearing nothing but blasé expressions.

Suddenly, you're not sure what you're seeing.

Men wedged midair between trees. A disembodied face framed by the waists of two women. A hundred flowery fingers blossoming between a pair of bowed legs.

You've entered the world of Ren Hang: a young, Beijing-based artist whose controversial compositions have won him international fame but censorship at home, despite his claims that his work has no meaning.

"I don't have a motivation," he tells CNN. "I don't know about others, but I'm sure I don't look at art that way."

The self-taught photographer, who turns 30 this year, first began shooting nude images of his friends as a way to relieve boredom while he was studying advertising in college.

What began as a pastime soon developed into an expressive, erotic style of art that makes him distinct among Chinese artists today.

Ren pares away the background in his photographs, leaving few distractions.