Wowser Ng
Wowser Ng (b.1998), is a China-born, London-based visual artist. Wowser got a letter of recommendation from Steve Brodner in 2019; then he graduated from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute with a bachelor's degree and the University of the Arts London with a master's degree. He is currently the art director of the London-based fashion media company Frame Perfect. His artworks have been selected for the 5th Fida Awards Finalists, jungle illustration award 2021-New Talent in 2022.
He designs fashion illustrations for many brands, including YSL, L 'Oreal Paris, and Chery Automobile, and co-designs artwork Mirror Garden with Florentia Village in 2021. Wowser exhibits globally, including Shanghai Exhibition Center, Beijing 798 Art District, Makersplace, and Central Saint Martins Museum. His works are collected by Central Saint Martins Museum and collectors in Shanghai, Wuhan, Tokyo, and London.
His artworks were featured in Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, Contemporary Art Collectors in 2022, and Makersplace Magazine, Al-Tiba9 Magazine in 2023.
Could you tell us more about your background and how you began creating art?
I was born into a scholarly family in China. I was exposed to art at a very young age, but I didn't want to be an artist. In middle school, my gender identity was in turmoil, which was very stressful for me at the time. Homosexuals are hard to identify with in gendered Asian societies. As a result, I find it hard to have confidence in those around me and to express my opinion. So, I became more and more solitary and didn't like to talk to people around me. Later, because of the boarding school, my parents had no time to accompany me, but they would buy me many luxuries to meet my material needs. But I still felt lonely. I spend my time every day on these luxuries, and I often spend my pocket money on fashion magazines. I have my own booklets, and I draw the products I like on the booklets, and I study the stories of those products. I grew up with this lonely, depressing routine. At first, my parents didn't let me study art, and I often argued with them, because I was very personality and rebellious, but they gave in, and then I was admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts. However, this did not make my artistic career easy. At that time, my teacher and I had a disagreement about my understanding of art, and my work was not approved by my teacher. So, I gave up the idea of being an artist. After graduation, I worked in the fashion and luxury industry. I've made fashion illustrations for a lot of brands, but I'm not satisfied with it. Therefore, I chose to study for a master's degree at the University of the Arts London and began formal large-scale art creation. I incorporate all of these experiences into my work. In this way, many people think my works are special and fashionable, and I gradually become an artist. Maybe it was meant to be. Art chose me.
What does your art aim to say to its viewers?
Some questions about Gen Z, and cultural materialism, continue to support the danger of materialism. And the medium I'm using is the one that best reflects Generation Z.
Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What is your daily routine when working?
I don't usually have a routine for my job. When I have a good inspiration, I will start to create, to ensure that every piece of my work is sincere. I will first investigate some commodities and products I need according to my inspiration, and then make some collages in my sketchbook to think about my painting composition. Then I start to create sketches of different narratives according to the collage and choose the best composition according to these rough sketches and further improve it. Then I use digital painting, I just use digital as a medium, like watercolor, or oil painting, it is just a medium of painting, and every stroke of my work is hand-painted.
What is the essential element in your art?
Figurative fashion products and commodities, Asian queer, bright colors, and gorgeous abstract graphics with space.
In your opinion, what role does the artist have in society?
It is difficult to define the role of artists in the society. Some artists embrace business and bring a lot of pleasing visual products to society. Some artists use art as an outlet of catharsis to convey their understanding of the world and aesthetics. But I prefer artists who reveal something about the society of their time that is worth thinking about and can influence generation after generation.
