Wei Nan

Born in Beijing, China in 1994, Wei completed a doctoral programme in lacquer art at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Kyoto City University of Arts.

Working primarily with leather, she explores new possibilities in urushi art through form and vitality. She pulls and wrinkles the material, then fixes the beautiful curved surfaces that emerge by chance, producing striking and richly expressive forms. Her palette centres on a deep, glossy black and a powerful red. Making use of the suppleness of leather and the brilliance of urushi, she captures the mystery and energy of the natural world, from flowers blooming to the movement of water.