Expression Management – Wu Qiang’s Artwork Wall
In 60 Cent Gallery, Delft, the Netherlands.
Have you managed your expressions today?
In this era of data, social media, and omnipresent scrutiny, our faces no longer entirely belong to us. From social media posts to professional settings, from family interactions to conversations with strangers, we are constantly calculating our expressions—Does my smile look natural? Do I appear confident? Am I being too serious? These subtle facial adjustments have become part of an unspoken performance in modern society.
Expression Management, Wu Qiang’s first micro-exhibition in the Netherlands, offers a sharp yet humorous deconstruction of this phenomenon.
To Watch, To Be Watched, and To Disappear into the Act of Watching
Through exaggerated and distorted visual language, Wu Qiang brings to life a cast of figures, each expressing emotions that seem absurd yet eerily familiar. Some quietly chew on their own feelings, some maintain composure on the edge of collapse, while others hide behind a twisted, artificial smile. These figures are not merely fictional—they are dramatized reflections of our real-world personas.
On social media, in subway cars, at work, or even in our personal lives—aren't we all, at some point, just like them?
Wu Qiang’s "Melon-Eating" Series (40x60cm, six oil paintings on canvas) directly reflects modern society’s obsession with gossip and passive spectatorship. People take pleasure in observing and dissecting others’ emotions while simultaneously adjusting their own expressions, striving to blend in and fit the role of an "acceptable" social member. In this era of information overload, emotions have become a performance, and the boundary between audience and actor grows increasingly blurred.
It’s Time to Stop Managing—And Start Feeling Again
Expression Management is more than just an exhibition wall—it’s a mirror, urging viewers to reflect on the small, daily compromises we make.
Are you the quiet observer, watching from the sidelines? Or are you the one carefully managing your own emotions, ensuring your expressions meet social expectations?
As you stand before these works, can you see your own "managed" face reflected back at you?
Welcome to this visual game of emotions, observation, and social pressure—let’s pause the management, and unleash our expressions.
Facial Management, or Emotional Control?
In his "Micro" Series (15x15cm, seven oil paintings on canvas), Wu Qiang delves into the sensory fatigue of individuals under high-pressure modern life. The figures here are even more extreme—twisted fingers, fragmented mouths, floating eyes—distorted body details that represent not just physical strain, but psychological tension.
In a rapidly changing world, we are expected to appear "OK," even when reality suggests otherwise. Expressions have become tools, rather than natural emotional responses.
When a smile is no longer just joy, when sadness requires calculation, when anger must be carefully packaged, the sense of self gradually dissolves into the expectations of being watched. In a society where everything is managed, are we truly ourselves, or just socially engineered faces?
