Wu Shaoxiang

Wu Shaoxiang is one of the most active artists of Chinese contemporary art since the 1980s. He is best known for using all kinds of kinds and dollar bills in his artworks. These iconic pieces are collected by many financial corporations, museums and foundations, and was even entered into the Guiness Book of World Records.

Wu's area of interests veer into the hidden and unseen dangers behind the rapid modernization of Chinese society. Appropriating an "outsider" point of view, Wu uses fables and props that draw upon the collective cultural memory of society to convey his messages through his art. By creating pieces using money, Wu reveals the intimate connection and impact money has human nature and culture. By recreating familiar items and people, Wu recontextualizes how money is thought of, and allows the viewer to interpret his works in a familiar, yet strangely peculiar setting.

Wu holds a sober viewpoint on the materialism prevalent in society today. The evocative and criticism behind his works are a gentle reminder to society as a whole, and also shows the artist's responsibility to be act as the conscience of society.