Jie Wu

Jie Wu was born in China and studied textile design at Chelsea College of Art and Design, before completing a Master’s degree in textile mixed media at the Royal College of Art in 2018. In her works, Wu explores the perceived values of natural and manmade materials in the Anthropocene era – the geological age that started when human activity became the dominant influence on the world's climate. The central premise of her creative practice is to elevate our perceptions of synthetic materials and their potential.  

Her aim is to add value to plastic, by reconfiguring it in such a way that it can be thought of as a timeless treasure. Wu hopes her creative approach to using resin, will afford it the same sort of appreciation as that given to other more traditional, long-lasting organic materials, such as marble.  

Wu creates the works by casting a special type of rosewood in resin made up of different colours. The wood she uses is a very special, rare antique rosewood. This type of wood is found in a remote village in China and has a prolonged growth cycle. The locals have not traditionally appreciated its preciousness, using the wood for FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) and wood burning. For Wu, these exquisite woods are themselves pieces of art, which she hopes people will come to value. 

The marble-like patterns in her works are born out of the wrestling dance of the organic and the plastic, made up of different types of pigments. She makes these non-recyclable materials into new art pieces. She feels that a material can arguably be considered 'sustainable' if it is valued and used for decades to come.