COLE LU

b. 1984, Taiwan

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Cole Lu Biography

Melding historical and literary references with poignant personal experiences, Cole Lu’s work tells stories of dissonance and longing through twirling odysseys of ancient mythologies that carry the echoes of trauma, transformation, and regeneration. His sculptures and paintings are made of burnt wood panels, linen, engraved metal, and concrete, with elaborate scenes of a mythological retelling.

Through pyrography (writing with fire) and the use of extensive and subversive titles for his works, Lu returns to the poetic origins of storytelling that liberate his work from established linear hierarchies of thought and form. The profound meditative and laborious repetition of his burning spans greatly in scale, from intimate to immersive, and allows Lu to build worlds where mythological and autobiographical come together and are thus reborn.

Lu’s work has been exhibited at Chapter NY; New York; Herald St; London; Nir Altman, Munich; Company Gallery; New York; The Drawing Center, New York; the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; the Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis; La Casa Encendida, Madrid; and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St. Louis, among others. His writing has appeared in Coffee House Press, Minneapolis; WONDER; and The Seventh Wave, New York. His publication Smells Like Content (Endless Editions, 2015) is in the artists’ book collection of the Museum of Modern Art Library. In October 2023, the artist’s new publication, First Pylon by Inpatient Press, will be launched at Mast Books, New York.

Cole Lu (b. Taipei) lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Text courtesy the artist

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Already he felt it rising surging into a shapeless mass a long river that some called history some called memory at home they called it Standing Fog. Nostalgia by Cole Lu contemporary artwork mixed media textile

Cole Lu Already he felt it rising, surging into a shapeless mass: a long river that some called history, some called memory; at home, they called it Standing Fog. (Nostalgia), 2024 Burnt linen
76 x 51 x 3.8 cm
Each Modern Request Price & Availability

In the darkness of the cave they lit fire to cook tender roots the blind eyes in the dark cave filled with salt tears. The blind eyes of the mother and the father filled with salt tears. In the darkness of the dark cave the blind eye of the bison filled with salt tears. One day the sun fell by Cole Lu contemporary artwork mixed media textile

Cole Lu In the darkness of the cave, they lit fire to cook tender roots — the blind eyes in the dark cave filled with salt tears. The blind eyes of the mother and the father filled with salt tears. In the darkness of the dark cave, the blind eye of the bison filled with salt tears. (One day the sun fell), 2024 Burnt linen
122 x 91.5 x 3.8 cm
Each Modern Request Price & Availability

There was something he was supposed to be doing only he couldnt remember what. Ask the eye to see its eyelashes. He could remember all the lunar flora and fauna ever thought hed remember his arrival to this land where the only way to see home is during nighttime up in the sky. The mesmerist named the chemical imbalance in his head and suddenly all the wet little spaces in his head the planets circling its orbit. Blue print for Pioneer Plaque by Cole Lu contemporary artwork mixed media textile

Cole Lu There was something he was supposed to be doing; only he couldn’t remember what. Ask the eye to see its eyelashes. He could remember all the lunar flora and fauna ever thought he’d remember his arrival to this land where the only way to see home is during nighttime up in the sky. The mesmerist named the chemical imbalance in his head, and suddenly all the wet little spaces in his head the planets circling its orbit. (Blue print for Pioneer Plaque), 2024 Burnt linen
61 x 76 x 3.8 cm
Each Modern Request Price & Availability

The staircase leading to his library fell into a whirlpool of light. There a river of gold carried his vessel his hair spinning with plum blooms. Moonlight Treasure by Cole Lu contemporary artwork sculpture

Cole Lu The staircase leading to his library fell into a whirlpool of light. There, a river of gold carried his vessel, his hair spinning with plum blooms. (Moonlight Treasure), 2024 Burnt cypress, copper
44 x 11.5 x 10 cm
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For hours he has been rocking in and out of the moonlight. Every year he grows younger while aging faster. A day is a gate like the memory of fire the first long migration and the last page of his journal entry begins with nobody knows what he is not. Catching the black sun by Cole Lu contemporary artwork sculpture

Cole Lu For hours, he has been rocking in and out of the moonlight. Every year, he grows younger while aging faster. A day is a gate, like the memory of fire, the first long migration, and the last page of his journal entry begins with "nobody knows what he is not." (Catching the black sun), 2024 Burnt birch
45.8 x 61.2 x 3.8 cm
Each Modern Request Price & Availability

The mountain climbs through the window bringing down storms of words the landscape of words becomes his universe. There a rain of stars came above his wood fire. It is there and then he carries the sea elsewhere. City of Truth by Cole Lu contemporary artwork sculpture

Cole Lu The mountain climbs through the window, bringing down storms of words; the landscape of words becomes his universe. There, a rain of stars came above his wood fire. It is there and then, he carries the sea elsewhere. (City of Truth), 2024 Burnt birch
45.8 x 61 x 3.8 cm
Each Modern Request Price & Availability

I wish this was a different story. The world has turned suddenly upside down. They dont know what it is to be so chronically untouched that it extended from a spaceless to the edge of what can be petted that an accidental brush of mailmans hand on your palm sent a jolt of longing straight to your trunk. I have sat on the grass park benches stoops hospital room chairs holding the great stocks of unused objectless desire impaled in my lungs that collapses without oxygen until I was sure I was not in the room where the air is burning. I live in America I dont have to love it nothing sound less than freedom to me you do that. Everybodys got to love something by Cole Lu contemporary artwork sculpture

Cole Lu I wish this was a different story. The world has turned suddenly upside down. They don't know what it is to be so chronically untouched that it extended from a spaceless to the edge of what can be petted, that an accidental brush of mailman's hand on your palm sent a jolt of longing straight to your trunk. I have sat on the grass, park benches, stoops, hospital room chairs, holding the great stocks of unused, objectless desire impaled in my lungs that collapses without oxygen until I was sure I was not in the room where the air is burning. (I live in America, I don't have to love it, nothing sound less than freedom to me, you do that. Everybody's got to love something), 2021 Burnt birch
122 x 89 x 2 cm
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What does actual life mean He turned. At his feet lay the shape of Orthros imprint the puppy used to lean against him whenever he sits still. Between him and the animal is the namelessness. The last time he wrote with Orthros the puppy was 4 laying on the ground by the fireplace the little ones soft golden coat completely hidden under the shifting cloak of heat. And now he is 37. As he races to record his memory Orthros imprint was long gone. Wake by Cole Lu contemporary artwork sculpture textile

Cole Lu What does actual life mean? He turned. At his feet lay the shape of Orthros' imprint; the puppy used to lean against him whenever he sits still. Between him and the animal is the namelessness. The last time he wrote with Orthros, the puppy was 4, laying on the ground by the fireplace, the little one's soft golden coat completely hidden under the shifting cloak of heat. And now he is 37. As he races to record his memory, Orthros' imprint, was long gone. (Wake), 2021 Burnt linen, rubberwood
91.5 x 60 x 7.6 cm
Each Modern Request Price & Availability

Explore Cole Lu's Exhibitions

Contemporary art exhibition Cole Lu Djordje Ozbolt Interstellar Traveler to Home at Each Modern Taipei Taiwan

Cole Lu, Djordje Ozbolt Interstellar Traveler to Home Each Modern 20 July–31 August 2024
Taipei

Contemporary art exhibition Curated by Simon Wu Revolt of the Body at Tina Kim Gallery New York United States

Curated by Simon Wu Revolt of the Body Tina Kim Gallery 14 December 2023–3 February 2024
New York

Contemporary art exhibition Stanley Chen Jeffrey Cheung Ni Hao YIRUI JIA Antonia Kuo Cole Lu Ang Ziqi Zhang Either is Good Overseas Chinese and Taiwanese Artists at Each Modern Taipei Taiwan

Stanley Chen, Jeffrey Cheung, Ni Hao, YIRUI JIA, Antonia Kuo, Cole Lu, Ang Ziqi Zhang Either is Good – Overseas Chinese and Taiwanese Artists Each Modern 11 March–16 April 2022
Taipei

Cole Lu in Ocula Magazine

Spotlight Ocula's Ultimate London Gallery Weekend Guide Rory Mitchell and Annabel Downes A fry‑up at E Pellicci before walking to Maureen Paley. A cruise down the Thames to Tate Britain. And if your legs can carry you, Hettie Inniss’ debut at GRIMM before the best kebab of your life.

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