Wu Junyong 吴俊勇

“ The power of the experimental artists is to incarnate themselves, like stars in the sky, and when they’re looked upon, they have gained their value. ”

— Wu Junyong

Artist Wu Junyong is heavily inspired by Chinese folk traditions, from words to myths, he recreates the tableaus of life, filled with intricate narrative that one may find hard to follow. Wu makes use of sculptures, paper-cuts, animation and illustrations to explore portraits of society and of fantasy, with a tone of absurdity and humor. Wu primarily engages in animation and paper-based drawing, but his artistic creation goes beyond traditional media. It also includes GIF animations, emojis, as well as tattoos and graffiti on the human body. Renowned for his unique creative methods and aesthetic style, he blends Chinese folk art from his childhood with Western classics learned in art school. His works often feature a juxtaposition of Eastern and Western myths, humorous wordplay, revealing the fragility and absurdity of modern life, while expressing a sensitive concern for societal themes.

Wu’s works are exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, including the Denver Art Museum, White Rabbit Gallery, Groninger Museum, Saatchi Gallery, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Daegu Art Museum, and the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. In 2023, he held a 10-month solo exhibition at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Wu Junyong is currently based in Hangzhou, and is a faculty member at the China Academy of Art’s School of Painting.