Vivian Wang

Vivian Wang, born in 1945 in Shanghai, China, is an American sculptor of Chinese origin, renowned for her glass sculptures that blend traditional Asian craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics. Before dedicating herself to sculpture, she had a successful career as a fashion designer in New York. Her transition to sculpture was inspired by an exhibition of works by ceramic artist Akio Takamori, which profoundly influenced her and led her to explore figurative sculpture.

Vivian Wang studied architecture at the University of Michigan before specializing in fashion design at Parsons School of Design in New York. She later trained in sculpture at the New York Academy of Art in Manhattan and at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, where she developed a passion for glass as a sculptural material. Her work is strongly influenced by historical paintings and sculptures from the Tang and Song dynasties in China, as well as the Heian and Edo periods in Japan. She also draws inspiration from her experience in textile design, incorporating patterns and techniques from her fashion background.

Wang's sculptures are distinguished by her unique combination of cast glass for heads, hands, and feet, and stoneware for the bodies. This material fusion gives her works an ethereal, almost intangible quality. Her figures, often inspired by Asian royalty, are adorned with elaborate garments featuring Chinese and Japanese motifs, reflecting the opulence of ancient court life. The surfaces of her sculptures are intentionally aged or "antiqued" to evoke a sense of history and tradition.

Throughout her career, Vivian Wang has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Artist of the Future Award from the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida (2019) and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art Award at the 45th International Glass Exhibition (2017). Her works have been exhibited in renowned museums, such as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Imagine Museum, the Barry Art Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in Indiana. She is represented by prestigious galleries, including Habatat Detroit Fine Art, Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and The Shaw Gallery in Naples, Florida.

Vivian Wang's originality lies in her ability to merge traditional Asian techniques with contemporary processes, creating sculptures that transcend cultural and temporal boundaries. Her exploration of themes related to Asian royalty and her distinctive use of glass and stoneware offer a unique perspective on contemporary art, enriching the artistic dialogue between the East and the West.