A Studio visit for our next womxn we love
We had the pleasure to visit the artist JoEllen Wang in her studio. JoEllen Wang is a conceptual artist interested in the overlap between social, economic, and environmental structures. She mainly explores the theme of shelter and often uses tarps as both subject and medium. She showed us her studio, home and chickens!
Interview by Lilia Ramirez
5/9/23
How did you come about the theme of shelter as the base of your work?
I spent my childhood moving every two years. I loved it. We didn’t move because of any insecurity, rather my parents were wanderlusts. With each move, I reinvented myself and had a new space to make my own. Then I studied architecture in college and was in that profession for a decade before starting a studio art practice.
I think I came into the world predisposed to being interested in shelter and then choices and circumstances led me to where I am now – expressing that interest through visual art.
What is your creative process?
For me, ideas often come about in the “in-between” times. Interesting thoughts tend to strike when waiting at my kid’s sports practice, commuting to a design job, or walking my neighborhood with my dog. The starting point of my art is everyday things and places around me. I might get a specific image of a “thing” in my mind – something I want to draw or paint – or I get an idea about a material or process that seems conceptually promising. With the latter, it’s a matter of carving out time to research or test ideas. The mixed media work happens in the “shop” side of the garage studio or spreads to other places in my house. When painting or drawing, I’m in a dedicated “clean” studio space, typically working from photographs. I move between “producing” work, testing weird ideas that may go nowhere, and researching. It’s not a linear process.
“I am drawn to ubiquitous yet universally devalued subjects – plastics, weeds, and mothers. I want my work to evoke awe – to be wonderfully disturbing. In all my work, I try to balance humor and sincerity, hoping the combination leads viewers to nuanced conversations”
“I believe that living is an act of rebalancing, and I am drawn to the tension inherent in the process: the tenuous balance between natural and man-made; the progression of certainties, constructed on passing cultural interpretations; the labor for self-understanding, existing as a woman habituated to the idea that others know better.”
Tell us about your Public Art Exhibitions. What attracts you to public art in particular?
Public Art is so enticing because you potentially have a huge audience. To make art that is publicly accessible, equitable, and relevant to people is a compelling goal. Honestly, I am most in awe of guerrilla art and street art. I did my first unsanctioned piece a few years ago. It was terrifying and ridiculous – I’m a Chinese woman and mother in my 40’s! But this “type” of art brings up an important question. Who decides how we use public space?
Which project has been the most fulfilling and Why?
The most fulfilling project is the most recent work completed that leads to a new idea or next step.
What are you currently working on?
Lately, I am exploring rope: lace, shimenawa, boat fender, girl scout lashings, etc. I’m trying to make use of the inner bark of blackberry vines as well as unwoven tarps. It’s a total mess right now and I don’t know where it’s going! Fortunately, I have an artist residency coming up where I’ll have some dedicated time to work on this. I’ll be at the Art Cottage at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park in Shoreline, WA, from May 20 – June 28. Community engagement is encouraged, and everyone is welcome to stop by during “open studios,” on Saturdays 9a-5p, during my residency. After that, I am working towards my exhibition at Gallery 4Culture in November in Seattle. People can sign up for my email newsletter (here) or follow me on Instagram for up-to-date information on upcoming events.
