In 2010, she completed her first wall paintings in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, a time-honored center of ceramics production and trade. Working without sketches, she allowed spontaneity and intuition to guide the imagery — an approach she continues today.
As one wall followed another, her unconventional depictions of deities — characterized by clean lines, animated expressions and a contemporary color palette — drew attention from visitors, including international audiences. She later received commissions to bring her celestial imagery to art spaces in Italy, France and the Netherlands. These experiences expanded and enriched her creative repertoire.
Some say her works show an influence from the temple murals; others see parallels with the Japanese ukiyo-e woodblocks.
"What I'm doing is not graffiti at all. When I stand before the wall, I naturally pick up brush pens," she says.
While working, she develops a visual vocabulary that is rooted in tradition, yet is responsive to the aesthetics and sensibilities of contemporary audiences.
At the end of 2019, she began to create one of her largest works, The Gods Go to Work, which was unveiled months later on a 4-meter-high wall at the busy Guomao subway interchange in Beijing. Infused with humor, everyday insights and empathy shaped by her experience as a former office worker, the mural offered commuters a moment to pause, smile and recharge.
The term shenxian, or deity, also implies someone extraordinarily capable in certain areas in Chinese pop culture. In the painting, Wen Na portrays more than 60 such figures within a modern workplace rather than a celestial realm — including patrons of delivery workers, protectors of subway security staff, and figures who bless people to meet deadlines and leave work on time.
She says in a bustling commercial area like Beijing's Guomao, everyone has their goals and ideals. The spirit of modern individuals — independent, self-reliant and hardworking — somewhat mirrors the independence and resilience associated with deities. Viewers can find resonance in The Gods Go to Work and recognize themselves as their own supporters.
To celebrate the Year of the Horse, she recently completed Clouds Burst Apart, Fortune Gallops In, an art project in collaboration with global luxury group Kering.
Since 2019, Kering has collaborated with contemporary Chinese artists, including Xu Bing, Wen Qiwen, Xu Jing, Peng Wei, Chen Ke, and Jiang Miao, to celebrate Chinese New Year through a series of special artworks.
This year's project features Wen Na's signature airy brushstrokes and dynamic colors, with animated versions circulating online. Auspicious motifs — noble steeds, swallows and revolving lanterns — convey an exuberant, festive mood.
"I often feel as if I'm walking on thin ice when I paint. At the same time, I feel fortunate that this gift allows me to make a living," she says.
"True creativity isn't a brief flash of brilliance. It is a force that can be felt and carried forward from one generation to the next."
