Artist in Residence: Quan Zhou Wu

Quan Zhou Wu 

Born in Spain, where ethnically Chinese residents comprise under 1% of the population, Quan Zhou Wu has become a prominent public figure in conversations concerning the local Chinese community as well as on more general questions of migration and identity. Zhou Wu rose to fame with the graphic novel Gazpazho Agridulce: Una autobiografía chino-andaluza (2015), one of the first narratives in Spain to depict the experience of growing up with immigrant parents. She then published graphic narratives Andaluchinas por el mundo (2017), which shared the international adventures of the three Zhou sisters; Gente de aquí, gente de allí (2020), a graphic essay combating discrimination towards migrants; and La agridolce vita (2023), which blends Quan’s own struggles with the stories of Chinatowns worldwide. She has additionally produced two podcasts, Movidas varias (2023) and Mi familia española (2026), which celebrate Spanish diversity in all its forms, and collaborated on the performance art piece “I AM AN ARTIST. I AM HISTORY” (2026), recently staged at Madrid’s prestigious Reina Sofía museum. For her artistic vision, social activism, and storytelling talent, Quan has been invited to speak throughout Spain, the U.S., the U.K., Asia, and Latin America. Her work has been published in prominent venues such as Vogue and El país, and in 2023 she served as the King Juan Carlos I Chair in Spanish Culture and Civilization at NYU.