Jenny Wu
My sculptural paintings explore composition, color, expertise, control, chance, and surprise. They acknowledge the sensational and perceptual properties of materiality and then transforms the materials, from their original forms and purpose, to present them within new contexts.
Long interested in tactility, in-betweenness, embodiedness, and construction, I currently transform liquid paint into sculpture, a process derived from making oil on canvas paintings and discovering the many layers of oil paint beneath the surface. Those layers of oil paint embody linear time, repetitive processes, and material characteristics. Now, I exemplify the layering by pouring a thick coat of latex paint one color at a time on a silicone surface, allowing each color dry completely before adding another layer, and repeating the process many times. The colors of each layer are premeditated. I later cut the dried paint to reveal the layers of cross-section, which I then use to build up relief and composition—piece by piece—on wood panels. The crosssection juxtaposes order and chaos: the consistent order of paint from old to new, and the imperfection of subtle differences in thicknesses. These sculptural paintings operate as both built objects and records (of labor, gesture, accident). Each piece follows a specific pattern, uniting the differences to present a systematic imagery. Resin coating is added later on to amplify the colors, as well as to protect the paint. These works question our basic assumptions about what we consider paintings can be and what sculptures can be. Transforming latex paint from its original, liquid form—before fashioning it within new contexts and forms—the artworks acknowledge an abiding passion for the sensational and perceptual properties of materiality.
Titles play an important role in my practice, in some cases mirroring my process of cutting and rearranging layered materials: I Wish The Moon Meowed (2024); From Type A to Type A With Gratitude (2022). Sourcing my titles from inadvertent sayings by myself and people around me, my titling compounds the humorous and constructive elements, and expands the space from the physical work to its title.
Balancing clarity and surprise, my sculptural paintings are the result of countless juxtapositions and an expanding set of contexts.

Are You A Panda Hugger Or Are You Not A Panda Hugger
2025 Latex paint and resin on wood panel 24x18x2.5 inches

Every Wall Is A Door
2025 Latex paint and resin on wood panel_16x12x2.5 inches

Hide and Seek But With Location Share
2025 Latex paint and resin on wood panel_31x36x2.5 inches

Inexorably Eating Bamboo While You Blankly Stare
2025 Latex paint and resin on wood panel_24x18x2.5 inches

The Boba You Had FOMO Over Turned Out To Be The Powdered
2025 Latex paint and resin on wood panel 36x12x2

The Cat Sits In The Back Back, Watching Ice Chunks Fall Off The Window
2024 Latex paint and resin on wood panel 31x36x2

Too Early To Freak Out
2023 Latex paint and resin on wood panel 36x24x2

Fictional Momentum is My Favorite Momentum
2024 Latex paint and resin on wood panel_36x36x2.5 inches

Have A Little Nepotism As A Treat
2026 Latex paint and resin on wood panel_24x18x2.5 inches

I Wish The Moon Meowed
2024 Latex paint and resin on wood panel_48x36x2.5 inches

Only Murmur In The Building
2024 Latex paint and resin on wood panel 31x36x2

The Best I Can Do Is Exit Row Seats
2025 Latex paint and resin on wood panel 36x12x2

Who Can Cheat Destiny
2025 Latex paint and resin on wood panel 24x12x2



