We are pleased to share that FQM artist Wang Mansheng will unveil his latest immersive installation, Without Us, at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens from May 17 through August 4, 2025. The exhibition will be on view at the Studio for Lodging the Mind, an intimate gallery space nestled within The Huntington’s celebrated Chinese Garden, Liu Fang Yuan (流芳园).
Wang Mansheng working on Without Us Series ©lmage courtesy of the artist.
Without Us features 22 hand-painted silk panels suspended from the ceiling, forming a translucent, meditative landscape that invites viewers to reflect on the interconnection between humanity and nature. Painted with traditional ink and black walnut ink, the work delineates scenes of mountains, trees, water, and flora—some directly inspired by Liu Fang Yuan (流芳园) itself.
Curated by Phillip E. Bloom, June, and Simon K.C. Li, Curator of the Chinese Garden and Director of the Center for East Asian Garden Studies, the exhibition draws from classical Chinese aesthetics and philosophical thoughts. Excerpts from ancient texts, including writings by Confucius, Zhuangzi, and Laozi, are hand-rendered in Wang’s calligraphy and displayed throughout the space, reinforcing the Daoist notion of “guan (观)” or contemplative observation through a quiet mind.
Details of Without Us Series ©lmage courtesy of the artist.
Wang Mansheng, who serves as the 2025 Cheng Family Foundation Visiting Artist in the Chinese Garden, brings deep intentionality to the material and form of each panel. Narrow forms represent towering peaks, while broader compositions convey lotus ponds and wooded expanses. In tribute to the silkworms that produced raw silk, Wang included imagery of mulberry trees and feeding silkworms to acknowledge their invisible labor.
The Huntington’s Chinese Garden, Liu Fang Yuan 流芳园
Wang’s work has long explored the intersection of tradition and contemporary practice. Known for crafting his own tools, such as reed brushes and handmade walnut ink, Wang has showcased his work throughout Liu Fang Yuan, including the carved pictorial tiles flanking the entrance to the Studio for Lodging the Mind and the blue calligraphic inscription “艺苑” (Garden of the Arts) on a nearby rock.
Without Us invites viewers to imagine a world beyond human gaze, while reconsidering our own relationship with the natural world. We warmly invite all to experience Wang Mansheng’s contemplative landscape and look forward to sharing more updates as the exhibition opens this May.
