Mona Wu flipped through her catalog of her 30 years of work. Flowers in four seasons were drawn in fans; quotations of Chinese poetry were written in Chinese ink; and a vivid lotus with bright color was printed in a woodcut.
“I’m Chinese,” Wu said. “This is my base, my base in art.”
Now after 48 years in Winston- Salem, her Chinese-inspired prints and calligraphy make her one of the best established artists teaching and exhibiting downtown.
From Wu’s perspective, the process of making prints is what makes printmaking especially intriguing because there are different types of them and each will result in different works. “Printmaking is pretty complicated, but once you get into the studio and are really doing it, you will find it interesting”, said Wu.
Growing up in Hong Kong, Wu was thrilled by Chinese literature and poetry. She uses quotations from Chinese literature and incorporates traditional Chinese culture in her artworks.
Developing her distinct artistic path in Winston- Salem, Wu joined Artworks Gallery in 2003, and since then she has been actively working there. She appreciates the idea that artists have the opportunity to collaborate and have a show downtown and loves to talk about art to gallery visitors.
Artworks Gallery opened in 1984, and it is the longest cooperative running gallery in Winston Salem. Wu just finished her last exhibition in August, and will be having her solo retrospective show in the coming year in January.
The show will include different media including collage, inkwork, Chinese painting, and printmaking. Wu will be at the gallery sharing her insights and answering questions for the opening reception.
Wu learned printmaking with David Faber, an art professor at Wake Forest University who let Wu audit his printmaking classes. This made a great impact on Wu’s career path. In 1995, Wu started to make prints.
“The first time I produced prints, I fell for it,” said Wu.
Studying under Professor Faber for nearly 15 years, Wu discovered the intriguing part of printmaking, gained valuable skills and formed her own aesthetics.
In 2003, Wu started to teach introduction to woodcuts at Sawtooth School for Visual Arts, also downtown., where she has taught approximately 100 students, both adults and students. The Sawtooth School recognized Wu was as the Artist of the Year in 2003.
“She always encourages her students to do something different and gives insights of aesthetics,” said Jeremy Reiskind, a student of Wu. Reiskind has been studying with Wu since he retired 15 years ago from University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he taught science.
Instead of a strict teacher, Wu always holds a friendly attitude. “She is wonderful at teaching, and she has wonderful ideas about painting and all kinds of printmaking,” Reiskind said. Wu has her own balance between being friendly and professional, and she always looks for the good side of whatever results her students get.
With a big smile on her face, Wu friendly welcomed Artworks Gallery’s visitors. She actively introduced and explained exhibited artworks to them.
“It is happy to see the art community in Winston-Salem growing stronger, and I’m honored to be a contributing member,” said Wu.
