Artiq Asks:
Joyce Wang

1. A piece of art you dream about having at home... George Condo anything. I took a painting class whilst I was at MIT and the tutor encouraged me to paint on a giant canvas. I remember stretching the canvas and getting his help to apply gesso to it because it was so big. I painted objects that were meaningful to me including cartoon characters, roller blades, and my boyfriend’s underwear. I struggled to fill in the canvas and my tutor helped. It was a collaborative effort. Later in life, I saw my tutor’s painting at a gallery in Mayfair; it was George Condo.

2. The importance of collaboration… I get energy from other people so when someone is passionate about their work, it draws me to want to work with them and to challenge myself. I will push myself more than if I were working alone. And so I believe the best work comes out of collaboration.

3. Your proudest achievement... Mott 32 and being part of the expansion of this dining concept across multiple locations to become the revered and valuable brand it is today. It makes me proud because the design process brings out the best in my team; the client trusts us to find a hook and to fulfil that design vision wholeheartedly for each and every location. Even though we are onto our ninth location, we approach the design with fresh eyes and full hearts.

4. The best career advice you’ve received... Stay foolish, stay young.

5. Guilty [design] pleasures... Crafting my kids Halloween costumes. We did Transformers one year. Huggy Wuggy another. The following year, a scene from Harry Potter complete with a train crafted from cartons and bicycle wheels, with smoke coming out of the chimney. I loved working on the stain glass designs of the four Hogwarts Houses, even the kids got involved. A testament to the fact that you can create anything if you put your mind to it.

6. A book you return to for inspiration… I love science fiction or anything that paints the picture of dystopian worlds. Novels by Kazuo Ishiguro, films such as Alphaville and Metropolis, and works by David Lynch. An imagined reality that can easily be our world should we decide differently on what matters. It speaks to the importance of the built environment, and how powerful it can be to instil memories and influence behaviour.

1. Portrait of Joyce Wang. Photography by Mark Cocksedge

2. George Condo, The Young Sailor, 2012. Oil on canvas. © George Condo. Courtesy of Christie’s

3. Mott 32 Dubai. Photography by Joyce Wang Studio

4. Illustration of Huggy Wuggy, by Lia Morse