Ao Jing

Ao Jing (b. 1993) lives and works in Beijing. In her studio, she accumulates found objects, fragments and various materials that remain part of her daily life for long periods before becoming part of an artwork. “I prefer to listen to what the works need rather than impose my own desires on them,” she explains. Her sculptures take the form of strange and poetic assemblages in which wood, steel, leather, wire, horsehair, springs and bronze come together. Far from resembling machine-like structures, they evoke living organisms whose complex and delicate architectures seem on the verge of coming to life.

The works brought together in Here and Now are the result of a residency in Alvémont, Normandy, at the artist residency of Galerie Jocelyn Wolff. In this setting, Ao Jing created pieces shaped by the limited materials available on site and by her constant proximity to the surrounding natural environment. Experimenting with bronze casting for the first time, she created casts that allowed her to engage with the material without directly constraining or shaping it. These elements were incorporated into her sculptures, renewing the tensions and balances characteristic of her work.

Ao Jing’s work has been shown in solo exhibitions at Start Museum (Shanghai), Suhe Haus – Skyline (Shanghai) and Magician Space (Beijing). Group exhibitions include that with UCCA Beijing, 69 Art Campus (Beijing), Aranya Art Center (Qinhuangdao), and more. She is the recipient of UCCA Young Associates’ Choice Awards (2023). Her works are in the collection among De Ying Foundation, Start Museum, By Art Matters, M Woods Museum, and 69 Art Campus Center.