Introducing contemporary artist and Taiwanese writer Tristan Wu
Tristan Wu was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1989.
He grew up in Taiwan and the UK.
During his time as a student in Taiwan, he began drawing satirical skits inspired by his rebellious spirit against the Taiwanese education system and the culture that pushes students to their limits.
Tristan Wu is a self-taught artist.
He draws inspiration from his strict military upbringing, the Chinese Civil War, his Taiwanese religious beliefs, his experiences as a sportsman, and his travels between Europe and Asia.
Through fragmented episodes of scenes of domination and rebellion, recreated with humor, merriment, rage, and more, he created a world of conquerors led by a fictional hero, Hysterical Mitch.
Be it an emperor, a military commander, a CEO or a rugby player, this consummate anti-hero's hysterical states speak to our contemporary struggles: war, memory, sport, technology and education.
Tristan Wu injects an overwhelming energy into his work.
True to his dual cultural roots, his work powerfully blends Asian cultural forms with imagery from globalised pop culture.
Tristan Wu is astonishing us in the current world of representational art with his vivid, honest and striking works.
[Biography]
Solo Exhibitions2022 Muscle Up, Whimsy Works, Taipei, Taiwan
2021 Playground, 182 Art Space, Tainan, Taiwan
2020 Le Réservoir, Sète, France
2020 Whaaaaat's Studio Opening, International Contemporary Art Fair, Taipei, Taiwan
2019 Asia Now, Paris Asia Art Fair, Paris, France
2019 Le Réservoir, Sète, France
Major Group Exhibitions
2022 Square Number One, Equal Art, Taichung, Taiwan
2021 Mobile Village/Yun-Chia-Chia-Ying Visual Art Link, Tainan/Chiayi, Taiwan
2021 Cool Kids, Moosey Art at Hoxton Arches, London, UK
2020 Le Réservoir, Sète, France
2019 Asia Shot, Asian Art Fair, Sethe, France
2019 La Serre, Montpellier, France
2018 Le Réservoir, Sète, France
2018 Fanzine Festival, Paris, France
【the work】
Workers Overwhelm
H2000×W1600(mm)
Acrylic on military canvas
Heavy lifters are professionals. Each dumbbell weighs over 100kg! They must always be in a position to perform at their maximum power! They march around aimlessly, pounding, bumping into each other, and expanding! Expanding! Everyone is fighting to be the only one to stand out! Everyone is trying their best to stand out! Lol
Workers X-1
H1600×W1590(mm)
Acrylic on military canvas
Unemployed, ill-dressed, unidentifiable, nameless workers march in an almost orderly fashion, expanding. Soon the landscape will be filled with the colors of their own accord. Each one proudly wearing the uniform I made for them! Each one wanting to stand out! Each one wanting to be noticed. They can be anything they want to be.
Workers X-2
H1700×W1600(mm)
Acrylic on military canvas
Temple people My favorite Buddha heads, Nezha the Contrarian, the warrior of the Third Prince, and in Taiwan the neon god of fire are all worn as cutting edge helmets by Wu Tech Co., Ltd. (LOL) Amazing! No one knows who they are wearing these helmets, they don't work for a company, they're not well-dressed, they can't be identified, and there's no prejudice! They can be anything! They march in an ever-widening formation! Soon the landscape changes to their
Workers X-3
H1700×W1600(mm)
Acrylic on military canvas
Unemployed, ill-dressed, unidentifiable, nameless workers march in an almost orderly fashion, expanding. Soon the landscape will be filled with the colors of their own accord. Each one proudly wearing the uniform I made for them! Each one wanting to stand out! Each one wanting to be noticed. They can be anything they want to be.
[Concept video]
Initiate Mitch 1 minute run
Trapped in a loop of everyday made-believe comforts in a seemingly friendly and ideal environment, getting out of it would require a group of incorporated personnel tasked with the administration to orchestrate and provoke, sometimes violent in the face of discouragement. There is the CEO, who sees the problem and signals the motion in rage and hysteria. There is Vicky, the executive secretary, who administrates and implements methods. There is the soldier, who muscles and has fun. And there is Mitch.Mitch is on the upper deck above their world. He is the simplest version of them all, an absurd personality, trapped in a loop full of images, heroes and legends made out of him. It was thought that he was the way out but he can never escape from the constant call for hostile circumstances.
He is stuck in a loop of everyday comfort in a seemingly friendly and ideal environment. To get out of it, he must rely on the administrative staff who direct, provoke and sometimes violently discourage him. There is the CEO who senses the problem and makes the move with anger and hysteria. And Vicky, the executive secretary who manages and executes the method. And the soldier who builds muscle and has fun. And then there is Mitch. Mitch is on deck above their world. He is the simplest of them all, an absurd personality. An absurd personality, he is stuck in a loop full of images, heroes and legends that he has created himself. It is a situation where he is always required to find a way out, but he can never escape, because it always requires a hostile situation.
Pull The Pin
The burn-out process of Hysterical Mitch, buried deep within! It's a bloody jungle where the fruits are grenades! Boom!
Hysterical Mitch burns out, buried deep inside! A bloody jungle of fruit grenades! Boom!
Supernova
Overthrown! Overflown! Overwhelmed! Invasion! Invasion! Invasion! They've come to us, in human form, more or less… Half-shrimp Policeman! Zap! Zap! Zap! It's a fucking zoo! Only animals are friends. Only Buddha can save us! Only Taiwanese temples can yield that kind of power! We will party till the whole shit blows over! Drinks all night! Dance of the tiger! Pub! Beer! Rugby! Happy Chinese New Year! Nezha of heaven, third prince warrior, neon god on fire wheels of Taiwan kicks their arses! Zap! Zap! Zap! Their true form reveals! Nothing but dummies! Dummies! Soulless! Sucked back up into the void of space! Overthrown!
Jump! Be overwhelmed! Invade! Invade! Invade! Here come the humanoids Half-shrimp police! Zap! Zap! Zap! Shitty zoo! Only animals are our friends Only Buddha can save us! Only a Taiwanese temple has that kind of power! Party until the shit is over! Drink all night! Tiger dance! Pubs! Beer! Rugby! Happy Chinese New Year Heavenly Nezha, Third Prince Warrior, Neon God of Taiwan Huo Che (San Prince), kick their asses! Zap! Zap! Zap! Zap! Zap! Zap Their true nature is revealed! Nothing more than dummies! Dummies! No souls! Sucked into the depths of space!
Outlet Remastered (Long Movie)
Revolving around Solution Corp., a subsidiary of Wu Tech Industries, Outlet is about fake integration, oppression, corporation, ambition, a lot of brute fun and mixed lore in the process of finding the solution. In this piece, I present a more realistic sense of my world, from trying to rise to the top in the megapolitan environment to ruins of a Veteran's Village.Centered around Solution Corp., a subsidiary of Wu Tech Industries, Outlet is a story of counterfeit integration, oppression, enterprise, ambition, a lot of daring fun, and various legends in the process of finding a solution. The film offers a more realistic representation of my world, whether it's trying to make it big in a big city environment or the ruins of a veterans' village.
[Staff comments]
The work is filled with people with expressive faces, expressing joy, anger, sorrow and happiness with a pop and humorous touch.
The motif is an old man, but there are lots of old men lined up and the colors are colorful, so it's a work that also has cute elements! This is a solo exhibition, so please come and see it!
[Exhibition Information]
■PROFILE: Tristan Wu
Recreating scenes of domination and rebellion in fragmented episodes, humorously recreating them and imbued with gleeful rage, Tristan Wu creates a world of conquerors, euphoric through fictional organizations. Whether as emperors, military commanders, corporate CEOs or simply athletes, this perfect anti-heroic emotional hysteria becomes the misambique of modern struggles: war, memory, sports, technology, style and education.
Business hours: Monday, October 24, 2022 to Sunday, October 30, 2022, 10:00 - 21:00
*Business hours may change due to the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Please check the official website for regular updates.
*Open until 8pm on the final day.
Admission: Free
Venue: +ART GALLERY
Address: Shibuya Scramble Square Shops & Restaurants 14F
(2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002)
Access: JR Shibuya Station (Yamanote Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line), Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station (Fukutoshin Line, Hanzomon Line, Ginza Line), Tokyu Shibuya Station (Toyoko Line, Denentoshi Line) 30 seconds to 1 minute from each
Works will be on display and available for sale, and will also be available online during the exhibition period.
Online shop: https://pls-art-shop.com/
Organized and planned by PlusArt Co., Ltd.
Artist: Tristan Wu
