Juju Wang
Art installations
Inspired by Eastern philosophy and principles of humility and inner peace, Juju Wang’s practice looks to the meaning of life as well as her lived experience. Wang states that “nature is her most important inspiration”. She doesn’t aspire to mimic nature, but tries to find a connection with it — as she believes nature can teach us a great deal. Nature, time and balance are the guiding principles of all of her projects. At the intersection of organic forms and conceptual processes, Wang’s art takes us on a reflective path about our relationship with our environment. Following methods and procedures, Wang’s installations explore material qualities and human failings. Combining crafts, land art, and technology, Wang’s installation proposes a poetics of history, storytelling, and the elements that surround us.
Juju Wang’s examination of China’s past, brings to the fore a diversity of cultures and knowledge and proposes to give them a contemporary form. Born in Shanghai, China, Juju Wang grew up in California, US. While studying engineering, Wang travelled to China as a way of learning more about the uncharted chapters of the country’s history. Her interest in little-known aspects of local practices was embodied in her first large-scale paper installation entitled House of Clouds, 2015. Inspired by Chinese folklore, Wang’s installation proposes an embodiment of the in-betweenness of bifold cultures (Chinese and American); a collision between modern and traditional, an encounter between East and West.
An installation artist, she works with a multiplicity of materials and pushes the boundaries of their usual use. Throughout the years, Wang has worked with acrylic, glass, coloured film, wood, silk, clay, and steel. Most of her concepts start with a hand sketch which enables her to apprehend and shape space; a crucial element of her installation practice.
This text needs a revision – I would suggest a call with Wang again. She is an extremely successful installation artist and her work is very complex and interesting. I would suggest also looking at her website – she has listed all her projects with descriptions there. If you would like, I can forward the catalogue to you, which has all the notes of each work.
Selected Exhibitions and Projects
2022
‘Infinite Emotions’, UBP Monaco, Monaco, France.
‘Prairie’, China World Mall, Beijing, China.
‘Once Upon a Time’, Tianhou Palace, Shanghai, China
‘Unbalanced Boweite’, X Super City, Nanjing, China.
2021
‘Mickey: The True Original Exhibition World Tour’, Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China.
‘Overgrown’, Chengdu Biennale, Chengdu, China.
‘Game of Crayons’, Art021, Shanghai, China.
‘Balanced’, Solo Exhibition, 70SQM Gallery, Shanghai, China.
‘As You Wished For’, Centennial Park, Shanghai, China.
‘Let There be Light’, Solo Exhibition, Maike Group, Xi’an, China.
2020
‘Cocoon’, Design Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
‘Sharp and Elegant’, Liangzhu Cultural Art Centre, Hangzhou, China.
‘Kimokawa’, Westbund Art Fair, Shanghai, China.
‘Overgrown’, Solo Exhibition, Objective, Shanghai, China.
‘Jian Zi Ru Mian’, Liu Haisu Museum, Shanghai, China.
‘House of Strawberries’, The Artling, Shanghai, China.
2019
‘Daoism’, Design Miami, Miami, US.
‘Back to the Origins’, Solo Exhibition, Gallery Scene Ouverte, Paris, France.
‘Meeting the Future’, SxV MoMA, Qingdao, China.
‘IOAF’ , The Obaek Jang-goon Gallery, Jeju Island, Korea.
‘Sea-cret”, Design Miami, Miami, US.
‘Sea-cret”, Design Miami, Basel, Switzerland.
2018
‘Juju Wang’, Shanghai Duoyunxuan Art Museum, Shanghai, China.
2017
‘Lift a Finger, Lift a Smile’, Shanghai Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China.
‘Trigger Cell’, Beijing Minsheng Museum, Beijing, China.
‘Cashless Trip”, Beijing International Airport, Beijing, China.
2016
‘PalaSee’, Nanjing Chaotian Palace, Nanjing, China.
2015
‘House of Clouds’, Shanghai Exhibition Centre, Shanghai, China.
‘House of Clouds’, UNESCO Headquarter, Paris, France.
‘Reflection’, Shanghai Xintiandi Fuxin, Shanghai, China.
Selected Awards and Honours
2021
‘Greatness of Human’, DesiDaily Top 15 Commercial Design of the Year, China.
2020
‘Young Artist of the Year’ Award by Robb Reprot, China.
‘Committee Leader of the Year’ by AmCham Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
Soho House, Art Prize Runner-Up.
Enlisted 2019 ‘Youth Power 30’ by ‘Art Power 100’.
2019
Now AmCham Shanghai Art and Culture Committee, Committee Chair, Shanghai, China.
‘Future Leader of the Year’, Award by AmCham Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
‘Designers of the Future’, Award by Swarovski.
‘Asia’s New Pioneer’, Title by Generation T.
2018
‘Spacial Artist of the Year’ by 10th Pioneer Art Festival.
‘China’s New Pioneer’, Title by Generation T.
PCLADY ‘Young Artist of the Year’.
2016
Design Shanghai, ‘Culture Heritage Award’.
2008 – 2004
‘National COMTO Scholar’, The Thomas G. Neusom Scholarship.
Recipient of Cal Opportunity.
Scholarship
2007
‘UC Berkeley College of Engineering Department Award’ by Bechtel Engineering Scholarship.
2006
‘Northern California Chapter COMTO Scholar’, The Sharon Banks Scholarship.
UC Berkeley Alumni Leadership Scholarship.
2004
Bechtel Women in Engineering Scholarship.
Turner Construction Scholar, The Achievement Scholarship.
Port of Oakland ASA Scholarship.
Bank of America, Outstanding Student Award.
Major Speeches and Appeals
2019
Speaker at LEXUS LAB Forum.
Speaker at 100th Anniversary of Bauhaus China Tour.
‘My Documentary’ Filmed across China, aired on Human Channel.
2018
Speaker at 2018 World Historical & Cultural Cities Expo.
2017
SMG Invited Artist, Space Renovation.
Speaker at TED x Ningbo
Ex Prime Minister of France Jean-Pierre Raffarin’s Documentary Invited Artist
‘I See China – Mr. Raffarin’s Nanjing story’
Juju Wang is a Chinese American installation artist, known for her mixing of Chinese culture and traditions with contemporary techniques and bold usage of new materials. Over the past several years, Juju has been exploring China’s heritage through both techniques and philosophy that have amazed and inspired her to produce art installations focused on bringing old practices into the present day. Her works have been exhibited in China, U.S., France, England, Switzerland, Korean, and have received wide attention. At the same time, she has had numerous successful collaborations with top luxury brands including Acqua di Parma, AP, Dior, Canada Goose, Givenchy, Swarovski, Tiffany & Co and Saint Laurent, to name a few. In 2018, Wang was awarded“China’s new Pioneer”, followed by “Asia’s new Pioneer”in 2019. It was in recognition of her evolutionary professional trajectory and the impact that her work has in promoting Chinese culture. In 2019 Juju received the “Designer of the Future” Award by Swarovski. An award that selects three young talents across the globe each year to respond to crystal sustainability. In collaborating with Swarovski and Design Miami/Basel, her newest installation “sea-cret” was unveiled to an influential audience at Design Miami/Basel fair in June 2019. She was also awarded “Future Leader of the Year” by AmCham Shanghai the same year.
