Meet Zheng Wang of California Institute of the Arts in Stevenson Ranch

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

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Born into an ethnic minority family in southwest China in mid-90s, I got interested in the lu-Mien ethnic arts at an early age, which motivated my grandpa, a Hmong-Mien calligrapher and painter to teach me drawing and painting. As a craftsman weaver, my grandma introduced me into a colorful world of iridescent colors and interesting palettes, as best demonstrated by her work. Later in early 2000s, I moved to central China for elementary school and middle school and started to get interested in creative writing and soon maintained the practice of writing and drawing into high school. I also started making comics which combined writing narratives and drawing aesthetics and carried this hobby into my college years. It was not until 2016 when I began my undergraduate education at Rice University, Texas that I officially became a serious painter and artist by studying studio art and art history. Therein I began to incorporate a theoretical perspective of art into my art practice and since 2017, I have been making predominantly paintings and installations that best resonate with my discrete life trajectory and cultural memories.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been a rough journey but the obstacles mainly come from the discouraging attitudes from the people I am intimate with and sporadically from the greater social context, as does the pandemic.

Please tell us more about your art.
As an artist, I specialize in installations, paintings, illustrations and comics. In May this year, I publish my installation work, “Virus Body” on Rice Magazine as my statement about my pandemic experience as a Chinese expatriate. In 2019, my comic/poster work, “Selfie Revolution” was projected and printed onto a highway billboard along a Texas highway, which was an interesting and experimental way to exhibit my work. I think what differentiates my works from those of others is my unique perspective which combines the theoretical aspect and the making aspect of fine art, stemming from my background. Specifically, I like the surreal quality and shock value of some of my works. Some others, like my installation tend to get quite personal, urgent and emotionally charged, as to easily engage the audiences.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Critical as luck were as a career-deciding factor to most artists, I treat good luck as a serendipity, while bad luck as a common happening to one’s early career. However, I never really thought of luck as a serious element at work, but rather an arbitrary semiotic bailment to find some attribution in.

Pricing:

• Silent Temple (Soap Sculpture) for sale at 100 USD; Dream (Sharpie Drawing) for sale at 150 USD; Li Bai Comic Series for Sale at 50 USD per leaf

Contact Info:

• Address: 25399 The Old Road, IMT Stevenson Ranch, Apt 11 – 201, Stevenson Ranch, 91381, LA County, CA
• Website: mohamstudio.com
• Phone: 8322441148
• Email: mohampangum@alum.calarts.edu
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moham_wang_studio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009042732075

Image Credit:
Moyna (Fangyuan) Chen

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