Interview with Congcong Wu — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

May 7

May 7 Interview with Congcong Wu

Contemporary Art, Animation, Painting, Drawing

Congcong Wu currently lives and studies in London, UK. As a young international artist who studied in China, Australia, UK and U.S., Congcong is interested in exploring the themes of culture, humanity and the overlooked aspects of everyday life. Her artworks have been exhibited worldwide in cities such as Sydney, London and Roma. Congcong currently works with animation to express a sense of impotence in funny and playful ways. By using the stop-motion animation to create a simple, absurd and joyful world, she aims to make her audiences laugh and relax.

Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? and your first experience in art making?

My name is Congcong Wu and I currently study BA Fine Art in London. I started making art accidentally. My aunt thought studying art would be helpful for maths so she took me to a drawing class. Step by step, my maths did not improve but I started to enjoy drawing and loving art. My first art-making experience was at high school. I made pencil and charcoal drawings for my final body of work, aiming to raise awareness of the older generation who are unfortunately often left at home alone. This was my first involvement in art making.

How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

My artwork is a way of expressing and releasing myself. I do not worry whether other people understand my internal thoughts or emotions. I’m interested in trying different materials and media, thus my artworks are diverse and not of one particular style.

What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your art?

Previously my art making was full of emotion. I wanted the viewers to experience strong emotions such as being touched or saddened by the artwork. Recently my artmaking has become more playful and I want the viewers to escape reality for a minute. Currently I’m making an animation intended to make audiences laugh and relax.

When do you know that an artwork is finished?

It depends on which media I’m working in, for example drawing or painting. It is finished when I feel the details are balanced enough and I can’t do any more to improve it. For animations it usually depends on my deadline. From my perspective, many of my “finished” artworks are unfinished.

What has been the most exciting moment in your art career so far?

Each time I finish an artwork, I feel satisfied with this new creation. Also when audiences are touched by my artworks and show their enjoyment.

How long does it take to produce one work?

Depends on the media; for example, watercolour usually takes 6 to 10 hours and animation usually takes at least 2 months.

What exciting projects are you working on right now? Can you share some of the future plans for your artworks?

I’m working on an installation which combines animation with sculpture. The sculptures are ceramic figures, which refer to the characters in my animation. I’m going to install them together to create their own world.