John Wu
Where You Currently Are
August 13th- September 3rd, 2022
Where You Currently Are is an exhibition that focuses on Wu’s recent works since the 2020 pandemic. It’s a disarmed and direct look at everyday life, recorded and re-valuated banalities turned into objects of survival— a personalized attempt to notice and make sense of the shifting realities. John Wu’s work is a result of paying closer attention to the present moment, imbued with subtleties, warmth, and a unique sense of humor. In numerous paintings, drawings, watercolors, books, and even projects co-created with his 7-year-old son and his students, Wu gently challenges and reorganizes perception’s blindspots.
“The moments of everyday life can be banal, but also can be exquisite. The pandemic side effects can come very late and can last very long. Facing the crisis and future uncertainty is hard on everyone, but it can be a window to see the love of family, friends, and neighbors more closely. We are all in this together and support each other. It is amazing to see how our attention has shifted back to the people whom we care about and who care about us the most. Being an artist and following one’s passion is very challenging. Balancing things in life, holding our spirit, and playing team sports are the most valuable skills.” John Wu
Keep working
Keep engaging with people
Keep caring and loving
~John Wu
*Special thanks to Aram Saroyan, Phil Chang, my students, friends, and family’s inspiration and support.
John Ziqiang Wu (b. 1983, Tangshan, China) is an artist and educator who lives and works in Los Angeles. He received his BFA in Fine Art from Art Center College of Design in 2013 and his MFA in Photo/Media from the California Institute of the Arts in 2017. Wu is the co-founder of Learning Art & Art Learning Studio, an art tutoring workshop he has run with his wife, Yinan, in Chino, California since 2014. Wu’s solo exhibition Dad’s Hands Are Smaller at Hutto-Patterson Exhibition Hall, Art Center College of Art and Design (2020); Art Making, Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena (2020); The Third Thing at Todd Madigan Gallery, California State University, Bakersfield (2019). Wu’s work has been included in group exhibitions at SALT, Istanbul (2018); Night Gallery, Los Angeles (2017); and Pasadena Museum of California Art (2010). He also performed alongside Asher Hartman in ANNIE OKAY at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2010). Wu has published several artist books, including One Day Intern (2020), The Place and The People (2018); The Lamps’ Story (2018); Dad’s Hands Are Smaller (2018); and Learning Art and Art Learning Society (2017).
He was an Artist in Residence at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2019), and contributed to the Artist’s Project for X-TRA (2022).
Wu's work is in the collections of Hammer Museum, Los Angeles.