Exclusive Interview with Chinese Female Artists – Yuntong Wu

by admin · Published February 16, 2022 · Updated February 16, 2022

By: Richard Ren/Staff Writer

Los Angeles, CA, February 16, 2022 – Wu Yuntong (Momo) is an inter-disciplinary artist and curator who currently lives and works in the Pomona Art Colony in California. She obtained her Master’s degree of Fine Art from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2019 and was nominated for the Headland Graduate Fellowship and the AICAD (Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design) Graduate Teaching Fellowship. Her works, mainly abstract and interactive art, have been exhibited and collected in the United States, Germany, China, and Taiwan.

Ms. Wu moved to the Pomona Art District in December 2019, where she started to operate the Progress Gallery as a gallery director. The Progress Gallery is a respected institution in the fine arts community of Southern California where emerging artists and established artists alike exhibit their work and enrich the lives of community members who visit the gallery. As a young female artist and curator, she approached the role with a unique and diverse perspective, thoughtfully selecting artists that would deliver new and exciting pieces to the gallery. Since taking up the role, she provided exhibition opportunities for 37 local, national and international artists in Southern California and San Francisco, helping them curate individual and group exhibitions.

(“Familiar Strangeness” Exhibition)

Ms. Wu exhibited her own work with the Progress Gallery in January of 2021, with her show entitled “Familiar Strangeness,” which showcased pieces made from ink and acrylic, oil paint, silk, and delicately cut paper. Her Since her arrival in the United States, Ms. Wu has become a leading influence in the Asian art community in Southern California.

As Ms. Wu explains: “My works investigate the network of ideas that shape our mutual understandings towards our physicality, the metaphysical, psychological mechanisms, philosophical enquiries, and our deep historical relations with this planet and the cosmos. This profound interconnection and intricacies of our existence and humanity mirror the same complexities that occur around us; from the vastness of the cosmos, our socio-cultural structures, down to the most microscopic of entities. These are the ideas that equally drive and propel my curiosity to explore and expand my convictions towards materiality, methodology, and approach in my practice.”

It is very common for artists to do curatorial work as part of their regular work. The artist as the curator regards the integrity of the exhibition as a work of art of his own. Ms. Wu’s process of curating exhibitions is similar to her process of creating art.

(“Yugen” Exhibition)

(“Yugen” exhibition, opening reception)

“Yugen” is one of the most influential exhibitions that Ms. Wu curated and created work for in San Francisco. This exhibition showcased 5 artists from 4 different regions and cultural backgrounds and took place in the San Francisco Art Institute’s prestigious Diego Rivera Gallery, which is reserved for the best students the institution has to offer. “Yugen” is known as a Japanese expression for an aesthetic pattern. The word originated from Indian Buddhism, and after it was spread to China, it lost its religious context and was integrated into Chinese culture. In Chinese philosophy, the word refers to a person’s natural qualities, rather than acquired ones. “Yugen” was later introduced to Japan and became well-known to the West in the last century.

(Yuntong (Momo) Wu speaks on the opening reception)

Ms. Wu, the artist and curator in this exhibition, set the tone for the exhibition from the concept: “Culture draws inspiration from nature and is also interpreted countless times. Yet nature remains a mysterious and widespread fascination. Artistically, Yugen creates direct communication with the subconscious to evoke a deep understanding of the origin and symbiosis of the universe.” The artists in the exhibition “Yugen” create different spiritual environments and dynamic forms in each artwork. These works are done by artists from different cultures who embrace all aspects of nature such as ecology, sublime nature, the vast universe and the eternal laws of nature.

In the modern fine arts field, a prerequisite of being a curator is to be an excellent artist. The very best artists in the field must also be able to curate exhibitions. Excellent artists like Ms. Wu use their knowledge and skill in art making to inform their vision of each curated show. A common modern industry practice is for a central artist in an exhibition to take up the curation role in order to lead a group of artists to create compelling combinations of artwork that will best present the works as a whole.

As Ms. Wu puts it: “In order to arouse human empathy for nature, the artists have carried out deep perception and introspection on the exhibition. The commonality between works of different cultures and personalities is the natural aesthetics in our deep consciousness that transcend civilization and are shared by all human beings. “

(“In the Realm of Possibilities” exhibition)

While Ms. Wu curated the exhibition “In the Realm of Possibilities”, she took the whole show as her own work of art. Yuntong planned the overall exhibition and integrated artists’ ideas by close communication. Her exhibition “In the Field of Possibilities” was on view for a month at the Fullerton Arts Colony, a show that attracted hundreds of art lovers from Southern California. The art forms included painting, calligraphy, sculpture, and installation art. The variety of art forms enriched and continues to enrich the artistic environment in Fullerton. It also opens up new communication channels for artists in Orange County.

(“In the Realm of Possibilities” exhibition)

(“In the Realms of Possibilities” Exhibition)

Ms. Wu’s solo exhibition at the International Art Museum of America demonstrates her remarkable skills of fine art. Located on Market Street in downtown San Francisco, the International Art Museum of America is at the financial and art center of San Francisco. This solo exhibition entitled “Contemplation of the Infinite” featured around 30 recent works by Yuntong Wu. The exhibition lasted for three months and was appreciated by San Francisco and international audiences.

(“Contemplation of the Infinite” Exhibition)

(“Contemplation of the Infinite” exhibition)

Ms. Wu’s also received awards for her outstanding abstract paintings. One of her geometric abstract paintings, “Planet,” obtained the Special Merit Award at the 11th Abstracts Art Exhibition Competition, and her mixed-media abstract painting, “White Dwarf,” was awarded in Special Merit Award in the International Abstracts Competition held by Light, Space, & Time Gallery. Since moving to Southern California in 2019, Ms. Wu has made contributions to local art, Chinese cultural art, and public art. As the only Chinese female artist invited to the “Ontario International Airport Art Project”, her works highlighted discourse about minorities in the public space of the airport. The Ontario International Airport Art Project is a project in partnership with the Chaffey Museum of Art to promote the work of Southern California artists internationally – 6,000,000 passengers from around the world will view their work each year. Ms. Wu’s artwork entitled “Snow” is the largest piece (48”x 24”) of this show. The painting uses techniques of mixed media and abstract expression to convey the atmosphere of snowy nights. She will undoubtedly continue to be a central figure in fine arts in Southern California.