Meet Uva Wang

Today we’d like to introduce you to Uva Wang.

Hi Uva, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory. 
I am a visual artist and the founder of a comic brand. Born in China, I started painting at a young age, sparking a deep passion for the art form. I pursued undergraduate studies in Digital Media Art at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Salford. Later, I continued my education with a postgraduate degree in Visual Communication at the University of Salford. During my postgraduate studies, I launched my online comic brand, Miss. W. Diary. Simultaneously, I never ceased creating in the realm of painting. Today, my paintings have been featured in some exhibitions. Both my comics and paintings share a common thread: using visual art to document my inner world. My comics, presented in diary format, capture my daily thoughts and experiences, often resonating with others. Meanwhile, my paintings delve into my emotions and dreams, serving as a means of self-expression and reconciliation. Through consistent creation, I have amassed a body of work, some of which has been appreciated by audiences. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was not a smooth road, and I guess it’s the same for all the artists. I got a lot of rejections from exhibitions, and it made me struggle and doubt myself for a long while, like am I not good enough if its people don’t like my art. And it makes me kind of afraid to apply for more exhibitions. And trying to change the style and the topic of my art. But at the same time, I received a lot of encouragement as well, their voice supported me and made me realize, I can just do whatever I want, it’s art. No matter if I’m having a massive topic or I just wanna express my inner, my art is my art, I should keep it true to myself, and let it be myself. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I do comics and visual art. 

For comics: I love to use black and white and lines to create 4-panel comics. Usually, a small story about something funny that happened in my life or some funny daily thoughts. I post the comic on Instagram @miss.w.diary every two days. I am really proud that I have been creating and posting comics for over 2 years nonstop and got a lot of fans for my comics. And my characters have a unique style – the big ears, and a little bit upset look. And Miss.w (my character) has her own personality; she is a bit socially awkward, a bit mean, a bit lazy, but she is chill at the same time as well. I’m trying to use her and bring some dark humor to people. 

For art: I do acrylic and oil painting on canvas a lot. And recently, I have been trying to use watercolor and a lot of other different materials. Girls, flowers, flames, and bubbles are often seen in my paintings, as I often speak through them about girls’ inner workings or dreams. And I am good at using rich colors to express emotions. I’m proud that I have the courage to draw my experiences and my inner world and share them with others in exhibitions as if I’m opening up a secret place in my heart and explaining it to others. I think I am cool. 

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I personally don’t like risk, but I seem to always put myself at risk. Coz I’m not the kind of person who loves to plan everything, I just do whatever I feel. When I’m building up my comic brand, I have to think about printing booklets, postcards, tote bags, books, etc. But I have no idea how much I need to print, how much I can sell, and what’s the print quality as I booked everything online. And I did get something wrong, I printed 100 booklets, but they all printed in the wrong layout, so I wasted all the money on it. It is just a small risk I take. But I don’t like it and learnt from it. I have to prepare everything and test first, then go for things step by step. But for art, I would love to take some risks, like trying different materials, it always brings me some surprise. 

Contact Info:

• Website: uvawang.co.uk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uva_art_design?igsh=MXJ3Y2NvejltNGZpeQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: misswdiary.com