Name Nina Kuo | ||
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Occupied Canvas: Nina Kuo
Nina Kuo (Chinese: 郭麗娜) is a Chinese American New York-based visual artist, painter, multimedia artist, and activist who examines the role of women and feminism and identity in Asian-American art. Her works specifically relate to the Chinese woman's life and experiences in the United States. She is married to the Asian American artist and architect Lorin Roser.
Contents
- Occupied Canvas Nina Kuo
- Nina Kuo
- Early life
- Career
- Personal life
- Exhibitions
- Honors
- Selected work
- Works and publications
- References
Nina Kuo
Early life
Kuo was born in the Midwest. She grew up in Buffalo, New York, and is the daughter of abstract painter James K.Y. Kuo.
Kuo received a B.A. from SUNY Buffalo where she attended workshops by Judy Chicago and showed work with Robert Longo and Cindy Sherman. Kuo received scholarships and studied at International Center of Photography in New York City.
Career
Kuo moved to New York City in the 1980s, where she joined the activist arts community group known as the Basement Workshop, building community by implementing a do it yourself (DIY) ethos from establishing newsletters to curating art installations. During that time, Kuo went back to China for the first time. She met her grandmother, whose feet were damaged by the traditional practice foot binding. She incorporated the idea of foot binding and fashion in her work of the time.
Kuo was the first artist in residence at the Asian American Arts Centre. In 1981-1982, Kuo as part of her efforts to build community within the artist community and do outreach as part of her residency at the Asian American Arts Centre, she was instrumental in building an Asian-American artist registry as a way to represent Asians in the United States.
In the 1990s, Kuo was part of the Godzilla Asian American Arts Network, an arts collective and support network started in 1990 for Asian American artists, writers, and curators.
For her 1997 residency at the Museum of Chinese in America, she explored the power of Asian American identity and in 1999 Kuo exhibited her mixed media installation Chi Pao (Chinese Banner Dresses) at the Center for Photography at Woodstock this addressed gender stereotypes prevalent in Chinatown.
Kuo's Politeness in Poverty photo mural was installed in the Broadway Lafayette subway station in New York City and was sponsored by ArtMakers.
In 2009, Kuo created a series of video, animation and installation art works called Mythical Montage, which featured and examination of "illusion, feminine irony and transformations of Asian influences."
Her Tang Ladies work in 2009 was described as "statuesque, delicate and quiet on the canvas as they investigate anachronistic details," The series reference the Chinese woman's desire to fit in, as well as the often negative connotation given to them by society, specifically in New York City.
In 2013, Kuo created a series that included photography and collage to commemorate and examine the death of Danny Chen, who committed suicide after harassment and hazing for being Asian-American.
Kuo has worked in partnership with the artist Lorin Roser.
Kuo works with different media. She has traveled and photographed widely, focusing on cultural gestures and the aging process as it is lived out in different cultures. She has worked and lived in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Kuo has exhibited with Ai Wei Wei, Martin Wong, Zhang Hongtu, Tehching Hsieh, Shirin Neshat, and Dawoud Bey. Her work is in the collections of Brooklyn Museum of Art and New Museum in New York City.
Kuo was also selected for group exhibits by curators: Kellie Jones and Thelma Golden.
Personal life
Kuo is married to the architect and artist, Lorin Chow Roser. She lives and works in New York City.