Wendy Lu is a Hard of Hearing, Taiwan-born, Toronto-based multimedia artist whose work transforms personal experience into compelling visual language. She graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Specialized Honours in Visual Arts. She lost her hearing at age three due to meningitis and later underwent left-brain surgery and three cochlear implant surgeries in her right ear. Wendy’s artistic practice spans drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, mixed media, illustration, and digital art. Combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary techniques, she uses diverse methods to create layered, textured imagery in oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolour, pencil, and marker. Blending realism, surrealism, and abstraction, Wendy has developed a distinctive voice that bridges tradition and contemporary expression. Her art explores urban landscapes, green architecture, and breakthrough technologies, aiming to foster sustainable communities and support mental health. Her work functions as a visual thought experiment, creatively expanding on a wide range of concepts and references while mapping out forms of non-normative experiences and possibilities. Resilience and experimentation define her practice, transforming challenges into opportunities for creative exploration while engaging audiences and offering fresh perspectives in contemporary art.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Art is experiential, experimental, and transformative. I aim to use my practice to inspire positive change, advocate for social awareness, and strengthen communities. My hearing journey, including losing my hearing at age three due to illness in Taipei, Taiwan and adapting with a cochlear implant, has shaped my confidence, resilience, and courage. This lived experience has given me a heightened sensitivity to perception, communication, and sensory interpretation, which directly informs how I construct and understand visual language. Through perseverance, I use art to express imagination, support mental health, and challenge stigma surrounding hearing loss.

My creative practice is rooted in using art as a tool for social awareness. I explore how artistic expression can contribute to social change, encourage dialogue, and bring attention to issues of accessibility, identity, and inclusion. Through my artworks, I aim to spark meaningful conversations and support reflection on lived experience and social conditions. I am particularly interested in how visual narratives can bridge communication gaps and create shared spaces of understanding across different audiences and abilities.

I strive to continually develop my skills and strengthen the quality of my artworks through strong work ethics, experimentation, and exploration of diverse techniques and styles. My practice values process, learning, and growth, allowing me to expand my visual language and deepen my creative expression. I often work through iterative development, testing material possibilities, compositional structures, and layered visual storytelling to build depth within each piece.

My artworks also explore the evolving relationship between humans, technology, and the environment. I am interested in prototypes, robotics, modular systems, artificial intelligence, virtual environments, and sustainable urban development. I imagine hybrid bio-mechanical sensory systems, accessible public transit, smart cities, and emerging technologies that improve safety, accessibility, and community well-being. These ideas reflect transformation within natural environments, architecture, and urban landscapes, highlighting possibility and change.

Through my artworks, I aim to encourage communities to overcome barriers and engage with inclusive futures. I support dialogue around accessibility, innovation, and sustainability, while inviting audiences to reflect on how technology and creativity can improve everyday life. Ultimately, my artworks seek to foster participation, confidence, and connection, contributing to more inclusive and forward-looking communities.