Chinese Name: 王淑鈴
Born: 1963
Birthplace: Taichung County (Central Taiwan)
Did You Know That…?
In recognition of her outstanding achievements in the arts, Suling Wang was awarded the U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony in 2023, becoming the first Taiwanese artist to receive this prestigious honor.
Born in Taiwan in 1963, Suling Wang earned her Bachelor’s degree from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in the U.K. in 1997. She then pursued a Master’s degree at the Royal College of Art, completing the program in 1999. Drawing on her childhood experiences in Taiwan, Wang’s work often features elements of Taiwanese folklore, Buddhism, Taoism, and Chinese calligraphy, reflecting strong influences from Eastern art traditions. At the same time, her extensive education and immersion in Western art have empowered her to integrate techniques and concepts from traditional Western painting into her creative endeavor. These dual influences have shaped her unique artistic identity, harmoniously blending East and West.
Known for her large-scale abstract paintings, Wang draws inspiration from both Chinese shan shui ink painting and Western abstract art. Through her masterful use of bold lines, dynamic compositions, and vibrant color palettes, she expresses deeply personal themes and cultural reflections.
Having lived in London for over two decades, Wang frequently travels between the U.K. and Taiwan. Her painting series “The Singing River (吟唱的河流)” and “Mountain Language (山的語言)” poignantly convey her memories and emotional ties to her homeland. Growing up near the Dajia River (大甲溪)—the fifth longest river in Taiwan—she created “The Singing River” to express her deep affection for the river and to explore the emotional flow between her life in Taiwan and the U.K. “Mountain Language” was inspired by a one-act play of the same name, which she watched with fellow artist Daniel Pulman. The performance sparked a reflection on human relationships and compelled her to create a visual counterpart that encapsulates her own interpretation of “Mountain Language.”
Commissioned by the U.S. Department of State’s Art in Embassies Program, Wang created “The Singing River 2 (吟唱的河流2),” another large-scale painting inspired by childhood memories of Taiwan’s landscapes. Completed in 2016, the work was displayed at the Taipei Main Office of the American Institute in Taiwan, exemplifying a cross-cultural dialogue between Eastern and Western artistic expressions.
Wang’s works have been widely exhibited and collected by renowned museums and galleries around the world, including the U.S. Department of State, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the Cincinnati Art Museum, UBS Switzerland, and the London Stock Exchange, demonstrating her outstanding achievements in the international art scene.
In 2019, she received the highest honor at the “Artist x Artist Gala” hosted by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. In 2023, she became the first Taiwanese artist to be awarded the Medal of Arts by the U.S. Department of State at the White House.
(Photo courtesy of Suling Wang)