Next Big Thing: Jes Fan
The New York talent explores the social constructs around gender, identity, and race in thought-provoking biomorphic works
Art and science come together in the thought-provoking and challenging sculptures of New York talent Jes Fan. Exploring the social constructs around gender, identity, and race, he creates biomorphic works assembled using handblown glass, aqua resin, and silicone; in the past, he’s incorporated hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and melanin—invisible substances that can be politically charged.
“Jes’s work underscores the unseen processes that shape our bodies, and in turn, our experiences with the world, especially as these become increasingly mediated by technology,” says Alice Conconi, a partner at Andrew Kreps Gallery, where the artist presented his first solo New York exhibition in October.
“Jes’s sculptures are a powerful reminder that the body is material, that it can morph and be manipulated, and that much of it remains thrillingly unknown to us”
Kim Conaty
Latest work: Building on his “Sites of Wounding” series, which began in 2020, he continues his research into the native Chinese agarwood tree, which produces a fragrant resin known as oud in response to stress and trauma—a metaphor for the human body. Taking CT scans of his own musculature and stomach, Fan combines 3D printing with traditional techniques such as glassblowing to form new designs. The artist also debuted an assortment of sculptures informed by his investigation into organisms that are impervious to harm.
Best in show: This past year, Fan’s work was included in the Whitney Museum of American Art’s biennial and Greater Toronto Art following his participation in “The Milk of Dreams,” the 59th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2022, which was curated by Cecilia Alemani, and an installation at M+ in Hong Kong as part of the 2023 Sigg Art Prize.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Winter Issue under the headline “Next Big Things.” Subscribe to the magazine.