Conference OCS London

Chinese Wallpaper Global Histories and Material Culture

Dr. Anna Wu
Tuesday 12th November, 5:45 pm for 6:15 p.m
The OCS Asia Week lecture sponsored by Sotheby’s

Dr. Anna Wu was awarded her PhD in 2019 by the Royal College of Art in London as part of the V&A/RCA History of Design Programme, for which she was supported by an AHRC doctoral award. Her research interests include Chinese export art and the global influence of Chinese design, particularly the influence of Chinese export wallpaper. Prior to embarking on her PhD, Dr. Wu worked as Assistant Curator for the Chinese collections at the Victoria and Albert museum where she curated displays for the Ceramics Galleries and the China gallery as well as temporary displays, including Ai Weiwei: Dropping the Urn and The Silent Traveller: Chiang Yee in Britain, 1933-1955 in 2012. Anna holds degrees from the University of Cambridge (M.Phil. Chinese studies) and the University of St Andrews (MA Joint Hons. English Literature and Philosophy). She is currently pursuing her research interests in America where she is now based with her young family.

Her research focuses on Chinese wallpaper of the type developed for western export markets from the late seventeenth century onwards. Despite the relatively small numbers in which they were exported, Chinese wallpapers exerted a significant influence on Western decorative traditions. Chinese wallpapers found popularity in Europe and North America throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries and there continues to be a growing global market for both antique and reproduction Chinese wallpapers throughout the world today, including in China itself.