Who Is Wei Wu?

‘Feminine, mysterious, surreal.’

London-based illustrator Wei Wu creates vibrant digital illustrations full of life and colour that delve deep into universal topics that she explores through her own personal experiences. She uses symbolism and metaphors to define her craft and explore her culture, femininity, and experiences.

Depicted above is a piece from her series ‘Would you like a bite?’ which urges the viewer to question the role of women in society and how they are viewed as sexual objects. The imagery throughout is full of rich symbolism questioning female beauty standards whilst being a loving homage to her Chinese heritage and Asian culture. ‘My grandfather was very good at Chinese calligraphy and was a keen collector of stamps, coins and porcelain from different eras, and I was often struck by the beauty of these small objects, which captured the folklore and history of different regions, local cultures, and legends, which fascinated me.’

‘As I grew up, I focused more on my own culture and history, and drew inspiration from specific oriental aesthetics, such as ancient legends, mysterious ethnic totems, and fantastic flora and fauna.’ Wei believes it is her responsibility to share China’s culture and history as an Asian artist which contributes to her distinct, dream-like visual aesthetic and fantastic style.

In Wei’s work there is also a profound sensibility and solitude which she channels in her collection ‘Living Alone’, depicting moments and feelings of her life alone in a busy city. Through detailed and colourful imagery she finds beauty in certain simplistic moments, such as applying makeup or shopping.

This relates back to her upbringing where she spent a lot of time with her grandparents as her parents were often busy working. Due to this she was very introverted and sensitive, using art as an escape from her loneliness. ‘My childhood wasn't surrounded by too many electronics, so I had a lot of time to try out a variety of activities. I took dancing lessons (which I obviously didn't like), I learned to play badminton (but I wasn't athletic), and in general I realised that I preferred to stay at home with a paintbrush and draw quietly rather than doing these 'energetic' things.’

This is where she first discovered her passion for art and decided to pursue it as a career, moving to London and going on to graduate from Kingston University. ‘Before that, most of my creations were constantly exploring and experimenting to help me develop themes of interest and how to enrich the visual language. I am fortunate to have had such a long period of time to enjoy the pleasures of drawing and making a living from it.’

Wei’s pride in being a woman shines through in her work, and she aims to empower both her own and others’ voices. ‘First of all as a woman, I am proud of my identity, we are such an empathetic, intelligent and sensitive group of people and this influences the way I look at the world. At the same time, listening to the voices of different women brings me enough strength to create.’ She observes and empathises with people’s emotions, reactions, experiences and behaviour which allows her art to become both deeply personal and widely relatable.

Both the intensity and intricacy of her art has proven to be influenced by great artists. ‘I am very fond of Frida Kahlo and Yayoi Kusama, both of them are very extraordinary female artists. I admire their stories and creations. They consider their lives as a canvas, transform their emotions into strong colours under their brushes and scream for freedom. This has also inspired me to use vibrant colours to depict the world as I see it, my feelings, and the female consciousness.’

Wei constantly emphasises her love and pride of her womanhood and identity and her illustrations encourage other women to live the same way. ‘The female characters in those images become countless versions of "myself" living in parallel time and space, fearlessly exploring this mysterious, dangerous and imaginative world. Through my art, I want to encourage more women to live bravely and freely.’

‘In my images, there are usually some contradictions and subtle emotions. Behind the more intense and beautiful colours, there may be hidden the cruel and cold truth, as well as countless neglected female consciences.’ The complexity of her work can be owed to her developing her style over her time in university and living in London, growing to explore more than what colours and imagery work together, but rather the meaning behind them and how her audience may interpret them in different ways.