Jing Nuan Wu (1933-2002) was an artist, acupuncturist, writer, translator, and venture capitalist. He was born in Guangdong, China but at the age of five left his mother and China behind to join his father, who had recently immigrated to America. A few years later, his mother followed suit and the family was reunited in Old Greenwich, Connecticut where they owned a small laundry. Despite these humble beginnings, he studied the classics and graduated from Harvard in 1955. He began his career as a venture capitalist in New York City and quickly found success. The work, although gratifying, required so much risk that it eventually took its toll on his well being and Wu decided a dramatic change was required.

So in 1972, Wu found himself back in the East, studying Chinese philosophy and medicine. He spent a lot of this time in Hong Kong but also studied other therapies throughout Asia. Upon his return to the US, he set up a private practice in Washington D.C. where he treated everyone from US senators, to the unhoused, those suffering from drug addiction, to artists and intellectuals exploring alternative healing modalities to western medicine. As an acupuncturist in the 1970’s, he was instrumental in helping to secure the legitimacy of the practice of acupuncture in America, working alongside government agencies and medical doctors to demonstrate its efficacy.

Decades later, after translating the Ling Shu and Yi Jing, Wu began to represent his visualizations of the healing power of the ancient Chinese canon on wood, plastic, and canvas.  Combining a playful fascination with modern physics, knowledge of ancient Chinese texts, and experience as an acupuncturist, Wu came to understand that there are ‘gaps’ in the normal continuum of time. These gaps are auspicious times for ritual, divination, and communication with the spirit world. His art invites the viewer to find and leverage these gaps, to create harmony in resonance with the domains of spirit and life so that healing can occur on a personal and societal level. He believed that all things internal and external, including color, sound, and ritual, have a place in this process.

Wu believed that illness is symptomatic of a ‘dis-ease’ or imbalance within and that true healing comes from creating a new pattern of life. So as a facet of his medical practice, Wu intended that his art be made accessible in locations dedicated to wellness. Thus, with the help of friends and advocates, Wu’s paintings and sculptures were shown in Washington D.C. at venues such as the US Botanic Garden and National Institutes of Health, before his passing in 2002.

Wu’s art is intended to serve as an initiator for spiritual and physical change. To honor this wish, his family have digitally cataloged his collection and have begun to make pieces available as archival quality color accurate prints for those who feel alignment with his fusion of art and medicine.