Wu Qiong - In Here (Multiple editions) Print

"Against a surreal background of turquoise and cerulean blue where road and ocean meet the sky, a couple dressed in work attire hold hands and stand ramrod straight. And yet, they do not seem out of place in this strange plane of existence - instead, the relationship of solidarity between the two figures is further emphasized. Holding hands, their relationship seem to suggest one of assurance, love, warmth and hope. Always and forever, they assure each other; always and forever I will remain by your side." Wu Qiong was born in Beijing, China in 1981. He graduated from the Beijing Shi Fan University in 2001 and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 2006. Both sculptor and painter, Wu creates art that represents the childhood that he and many others of his generation remembered and in doing so, creates touching and amusing portraits of childhood that are distinctly contemporary in the Chinese art scene. Acclaimed both internationally and locally, Wu Qiong has participated in various international art fairs, including Art Miami, Art Cologne and Bridge Art Fair. In his art, Wu Qiong often represents children coming to terms with the world of adulthood, but still remaining distinctly childlike; a suggestion that part of us never truly lets go of childhood. This concept is furthered by the innocent expressions on the faces of his sculptures and paint subjects, which are a great part of their appeal. Sometimes his characters march to tunes in their heads, or take to the air amidst fluffy white clouds. At other times, they come to terms with reality - which possibly symbolizes the artist - along with his alter egos in the guise of children - having woken up to the way life really is.