Jiannan Wu was born in Dalian, China in 1990. He is an adjunct faculty member at the New York Academy of Art and a member of the National Sculpture Society and the American Medallic Sculpture Association. Wu received his BFA in Sculpture from the China Academy of Art in 2014 and his MFA in Sculpture from the New York Academy of Art in 2016. Working primarily in sculpture and wall-mounted relief, he explores contemporary urban life and social events related to politics and sports. Through realism, humor, satire, and multifaceted narratives, his work draws attention to the absurdities of the world in which we live.
Wu was shortlisted for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize in 2026. In 2024, his work was presented by the Swatch Art Peace Hotel at the 60th Venice Biennale. He received a grant from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation in 2019 and the Dexter Jones Award from the National Sculpture Society in both 2017 and 2022. He was named one of the “Top Ten Outstanding Chinese American Youth” and included in the “2020 AACYF 30 Under 30” list. His work was also recognized by China Sculpture magazine as one of the Best Original Sculptures of 2019. His residency experience includes the Kylemore Global Centre in Ireland in 2026, the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in 2023, the Eric Fischl ‘66 Artist-in-Residence program at West Nottingham Academy in 2019, the ABC Stone Carrara Merit Award residency in Italy in 2016, and the Terra Foundation residency in Giverny, France, in 2015.
Recent solo exhibitions include Hong Kong: Cinematic Set & Viewing Platform and Carnival, both at Leo Gallery. His work has also been featured in group exhibitions at Sotheby’s New York, Philips New York, the Metropolitan Pavilion, the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, Southampton Arts Center, Bonner Kunstverein in Germany, Phillips Hong Kong, Zhejiang Art Museum, the Art Museum of the China Academy of Art, and the Art Museum of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, among others. His work and related features have appeared in The New York Times, Hi-Fructose, and Collections magazine.