Jiannan Wu

Fall 2025 Cycle – Art
New York, NY  jiannanwu.com

Cheers-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

"Cheers", 2022, 60x66x23 cm, Acrylic on resin, wood and metal

Destiny-Is-All-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

"Destiny Is All", 2022, 60x61x21 cm, Acrylic on resin, wood and metal

Summit-2019-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

"Summit 2019", 2022, 80x24x10 cm, Acrylic on resin, wood and metal

Elmhurst-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

“Elmhurst”, 2025, 36x31x14 cm, Acrylic on resin, wood, metal and LED light

Feb.News-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

"Feb.News", 2022, 45x31.5x32.5 cm, Acrylic on resin, antique TV case and LED light

Kabul-Airport-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

"Kabul Airport", 2022, 70x48x16 cm, Acrylic on resin, wood and metal

New-York-New-York-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

"New York New York", 2016, 153x130x128 cm, Acrylic on Resin

Stadium-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

 "Stadium", 2022, 80x58x17 cm, Acrylic on resin, wood and metal

wonder-wheel-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

"Wonder Wheel", 2022, 60x68x17 cm, Acrylic on resin, wood and metal

Adolescence-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

"Adolescence", 2022, 100x29.5x13.5 cm, Acrylic on resin, wood and metal

Carnival_Leo-Gallery-2-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

2023 Carnival, Leo Gallery, Shanghai, China

Contemporary-Perspectives_Gallery-Poulsen-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

2022 Contemporary Perspectives, Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Love-Story-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

Love Story, 2024, 27x29x29 cm, Acrylic on aluminum

Artist Statement Biography

Through formats of sculpture and wall-mounted relief, I present the theme of contemporary urban life and social events such as politics and sports with a focus on realism and a playful, satirical and multifaceted narrative, that can make us realize the often absurd nature of the environment we’re currently living in. I received my BFA Degree in Sculpture from China Academy of Art and my MFA Degree in Sculpture from New York Academy of Art. I’m also an adjunct faculty of New York Academy of Art. Having been living in a cross-cultural environment for an extended period, I see myself as an experiencer, observer, and creator of multiculturalism. My recent work has primarily focused on two types of compositions. The first involves the re-interpretation of collective memories through public imagery, such as social events in politics and sports. In this context, I find that each image carries a dual significance—of the event itself and of the image as a representation. The second type is based on experiences and perceptions drawn from my private life. While the former is connected to the social realm, with scenes and events traceable through media imagery, the latter is fictional, dreamlike in nature, without any reference to public images. All pieces in this series together constitute a theater of the world, spanning from 1990s to 2020s with location moving from China, Japan, Afghanistan, France, Germany, the United States, to Russia; depicting scenes from stadiums, amusement parks to subways, dining tables with figures such as athletes, politicians, film and television characters, animated characters, and my own family and friends. In these works, I enjoy presenting layered “scenes” that range from real public events—such as news events and sports competitions—to entirely fictional scenes, like the surreal accident site depicted in The Death of the Dragon. Through these varied scenes, I aim to pull the audience from reality into a series of staged, theatrical narratives that I direct. By viewing these scenarios from a distanced perspective, viewers may notice the absurdity in familiar situations. In this way, the world becomes a vast film set, and we are mere spectators.

Through formats of sculpture and wall-mounted relief, I present the theme of contemporary urban life and social events such as politics and sports with a focus on realism and a playful, satirical and multifaceted narrative, that can make us realize the often absurd nature of the environment we’re currently living in. I received my BFA Degree in Sculpture from China Academy of Art and my MFA Degree in Sculpture from New York Academy of Art. I’m also an adjunct faculty of New York Academy of Art. Having been living in a cross-cultural environment for an extended period, I see myself as an experiencer, observer, and creator of multiculturalism. My recent work has primarily focused on two types of compositions. The first involves the re-interpretation of collective memories through public imagery, such as social events in politics and sports. In this context, I find that each image carries a dual significance—of the event itself and of the image as a representation. The second type is based on experiences and perceptions drawn from my private life. While the former is connected to the social realm, with scenes and events traceable through media imagery, the latter is fictional, dreamlike in nature, without any reference to public images. All pieces in this series together constitute a theater of the world, spanning from 1990s to 2020s with location moving from China, Japan, Afghanistan, France, Germany, the United States, to Russia; depicting scenes from stadiums, amusement parks to subways, dining tables with figures such as athletes, politicians, film and television characters, animated characters, and my own family and friends. In these works, I enjoy presenting layered “scenes” that range from real public events—such as news events and sports competitions—to entirely fictional scenes, like the surreal accident site depicted in The Death of the Dragon. Through these varied scenes, I aim to pull the audience from reality into a series of staged, theatrical narratives that I direct. By viewing these scenarios from a distanced perspective, viewers may notice the absurdity in familiar situations. In this way, the world becomes a vast film set, and we are mere spectators.

Meet the Artist

Jiannan Wu

portrait-Jiannan Wu-innovate-grant

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