Xiaoran
Wu

Wu Xiaoran

Born in Hangzhou in 1986, Xiaoran Wu earned a Master of Contemporary Art Practice degree from the Royal College of Art in 2019. In 2023, he was shortlisted for the John Moores Painting Prize (China). He currently lives and works in Shanghai.

Wu's artistic practice primarily explores the relationship between imagery and power, utilizing the traditional medium of painting as a means to engage in a dialogue between the two.

His extensive experience in video production has significantly influenced his approach to painting. Historical imagery serves as a recurring subject in his work, which he meticulously studies and reinterprets in search of new possibilities within the history of painting. Wu prefers working with oil on wood panels, a material he believes best captures the flatness of images. For him, painting is not only a traditional medium but also a critical practice through which he seeks to challenge and question existing narratives.