Artist Statement

Since 2000, plastic surgery has become twenty times more popular across East Asia. These surgeries say a lot about changing societal beauty standards and gender norms. Women are struggling with their facial appearances—reshaping their eyelids and noses to appear more western. Men worry, too, about their masculinity—wanting to live-up to cultural expectations that require them to act “animalistic,” or be as tough as possible. My work tries to expose the dark sides of these social norms. Overall, my paintings, drawings, and mixed-media interactive sculptures consider how these norms threaten people’s self-esteem and make Asian societies lose their diversity.  

In my recent series of needle felted sculptural pieces, I construct female breasts, and by repeatedly stabbing and penetrating the soft and fluffy felt of their harmless domesticity I seek to unveil the profound violence and irony in female commoditization and mass-produced beauty in Chinese societies.       

CV

Education

2017       M.F.A. in Studio Art, San Francisco Art Institute

2014       B.A. in Studio Art, College of Saint Benedict, Saint Joseph, MN

Solo Show

2020 Gift, Toku Gallery, Nanjing, China

2018       A Room of One’s Own, Toku Gallery, Nanjing, China 

Group Shows and Art Fairs

2021 I Am Fine, Toku Gallery, Nanjing, China

2020 New Look, ShanghART & Baiting Art Center, Nanjing, China

2019 One Ton Project, Hengfu Art Center, Shanghai, China

2019 The Writing of Romantic, 24 Hours Art Gallery, Nanjing, China

2018          Les 4 Coups, ShanghART M50 Gallery, Shanghai, China

2018          The System of Hypothesis, Gu An Art Gallery, Nanjing, China

2017          Startup Art Fair, Hotel Del Sol, 3100 Webster Street, San Francisco, CA

2016          The Art of the Toy, Arts Benicia, 991 Tyler Street, #114, Benicia, CA

2016          Superficial, Diego Gallery, 800 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA

2016          Artist Choice, San Francisco Women Artists, San Francisco, CA

2016          Figure & Faces, Pacific Art League of Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA

2016          Borderless, Swell Gallery, 2565 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA

2015          Sense of Self, CentraCare Clinic, St. Joseph, MN

2014          Simply Unsatisfied, Gorecki Gallery, Saint Joseph, MN

2014          Life’s Alteration, Gorecki Gallery, Saint Joseph, MN

2013          Student Painting Show, Gorecki Gallery, Saint Joseph, MN

2012          Sophomore Exhibit, Gorecki Gallery, Saint Joseph, MN

2012          Student Portrait Show, Gorecki Gallery, Saint Joseph, MN

Professional Experience

2018                Teacher, ROSSO Fashion& Arts Education, Nanjing, China 

2017－2018     Teacher, Contemporary Art Practice Elective Course, Nanjing Foreign

                   Language School, Nanjing, China

2016 – 2017     Teaching Assistant, Critical Theory Class, San Francisco Art Institute, CA

2016 – 2017     Tutor, Academic Resource Center, San Francisco Art Institute, CA

2016           Volunteer, “User Agreement,” Lucky Dragons, SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA

2016           Volunteer, “After Pop Life” Closing Party (aka Prince Dance Party and

                   Bonanza Fashion Show), Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA

2014           Gallery Assistant, Midway Contemporary Art Gallery & Library, Minneapolis, MN

2015                 Gallery Assistant Internship, Rosalux Gallery, Minneapolis, MN

2012 – 2014     Gallery Assistant, Fine Art Programming, College of Saint Benedict and

                     Saint John’s University, MN

2012 – 2014     Costume Assistant, Theater Department, College of Saint Benedict and

                         Saint John’s University, MN

2012                 Marketing Manager, China club, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, MN

2012                 Volunteer Assistant under Patrick Dougherty, Lean on Me, Collegeville, MN 

Publication

2018          “Pink Bits: Feminist Pop Artist Peels Back Skin, Shame, Stigma,” Sixth Tone,

http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1002027/pink-bits-feminist-pop-artist-peels-back-skin%2C-shame%2C-stigma

2017          “Wang Weijue: The Convergence of aesthetics conceals violence,” Oriental Guardian Newspaper

2017          “Weijue Wang’s Plush Pink Boob Sculptures are Deceptively Precious,” Vice’s Creators Project,

https://creators.vice.com/en_us/article/weijue-wang-plush-pink-boob-sculptures

2017          “Interview with Artist Weijue Wang, a Chinese Feminist Artist,” Fempotential,

http://www.fempotential.com/weijue-wang-chinese-feminist-artist/

2016          “Needle Works—Felted Wool,” Pink Things,   

http://www.pinkthingsmag.com/art/needle-works-felted-wool

Honors/Awards

2014     Member of Delta Epsilon Sigma National Honor Society, Saint Joseph, MN

2014     CSB/SJU Undergraduate Research Grant, Saint Joseph, MN

2014     First Prize at Clemens art contest, Saint Joseph, MN

2013     Second Prize at Project Runway of College of Saint Benedict, Saint Joseph, MN

2011 – 2014  International Student Scholarship, Saint Joseph, MN