Qianquan Wang（QQKing） is an artist from China who graduated with an MLitt in Contemporary Art Practice from the Glasgow School of Art. Her practice includes sculpture, textiles, installation and moving image, often using discarded household objects and reused materials. In Smart Zoo, household appliances become hybrid animal characters, drawing on Chinese Smart subculture. The series explores visibility, consumption and assimilation. It received the 2026 GSA Sustainability Prize.

See QQ’s work as part of Here’s One I Made Earlier, a group show featuring contemporary artists working in Glasgow. Brought together on the Master of Letters course at Glasgow School of Art, these artists share a commitment to thinking-through-making, exploring, and articulating their ideas visually and materially. Featuring sculpture, painting, printmaking, and more, this collection offers an insight into the breadth of art being made in Glasgow right now.

Hi QQ! Tell us how you arrived at the theme of your work?
Smart Zoo grew out of my thoughts about China’s Smart (Shamate) youth subculture in the early 2000s. The colourful hair, DIY fashion and online communities gave young people ways to express themselves and feel seen. That style was often dismissed as ‘tacky’, and I wanted to understand what it meant to the people who embraced it. The idea of a zoo helped me think about how people are watched and labelled, and who gets to decide what is normal or strange.

Can you walk us through your creative process?
I usually start with a discarded object and spend time looking at its shape. An old kettle suggested the body of a chicken, a coffee machine became a penguin, and an iron became a mouse. From there, I add materials such as cardboard, fabric, faux fur, artificial hair and small decorations to bring each character to life. I like keeping traces of each object’s earlier life, so its original form remains part of the sculpture and the character.

How has your practice changed over time?
My practice began with a focus on textiles and fibre, and it has gradually opened out into sculpture, installation, moving image, sound and participatory work. I still think through materials and enjoy learning by making. Over time, I’ve become more interested in how materials connect to questions of identity, visibility and value, and in the ways people are seen and judged.

What advice would you give to artists who are just starting out?
Stay curious, and give yourself room to experiment before you know exactly where an idea will lead. Work with the materials and resources you have, and keep a record of the things you try. Pay attention to what you keep coming back to, even if it seems small or unusual. Your way of working can grow naturally through making.

Which artists inspire you? Are there non-artistic influences such as literature or music that impact your work?
One artist whose work I researched and felt a connection to is Kirsty Elson. She uses reclaimed wood, scrap materials and found objects to make small animal sculptures and scenes. I like the way she gives discarded materials a new life while keeping their original qualities visible. I’m also influenced by the visual culture of China’s Smart/Shamate youth subculture, including its DIY fashion and online self-expression. Everyday objects, music and images connected to youth culture find their way into my work too.

Are there any upcoming events or additional information you would like the audience to know?
Some of my sand art works and a selection of sculptures from Smart Zoo will be shown in Still Warm at Strange Field, 105 French Street, Glasgow G40 4EH, from 18 to 22 November 2026. The open call is still open, and I’d love to see more artists get involved. If you have work you’d like to share, please consider submitting it. The private view is on 18 November, from 6 to 9 pm.

Find out more about QQ’s work on her Website or on Instagram.