Steph Huang. There Is Nothing Old Under The Sun

About

For Steph Huang, as for many creatives, the roles of cook and artist are delightfully entwined. Huang’s experience as a chef has provided her with a repertoire of foods, packaging and merchandising techniques that feed into sculptures and installations. And like any accomplished cook, Huang draws on a cornucopia of skills for her art, including printing, glassblowing, casting, welding and woodwork

In this new exhibition, Huang continues her investigation into mass production and commerce, the transcultural and historical dimensions of the food industry, and the implications of such markets on our natural environment. Using a variety of manual techniques, Huang transforms everyday spaces and objects, resulting in minimalist sculptures and poetically charged installations of quiet resonance.

Huang is the 21st winner of the MTSA, the most significant award for emerging UK artists working in the field of sculpture. It seeks to reward outstanding and innovative practice, with a particular interest in work that demonstrates a commitment to process, or sensitivity to material. Huang was selected from 300 entries by a judging panel comprising: Francis Upritchard, Artist; Claire Feeley, Head of Exhibitions, Jupiter Artland; Rebecca Scott, Director, Cross Lane Projects and Mark Tanner Trust; and Lee Holden, MTSA winner 2022/23.

To accompany the exhibition, Standpoint has commissioned a new essay by writer and coach Ellen Mara De Wachter.

We are delighted to share that ‘There Is Nothing Old Under The Sun’ will later tour the UK as part of the MTSA’s National Touring Programme. Opening at new partner venue esea contemporary, Manchester, in September 2024 and Cross Lane Projects, Kendal, in March 2025.

Steph Huang (b. 1990, Changhua, Taiwan) lives and works in London. She received her MA in sculpture from the Royal College of Art, 2021. Huang has presented recent solo exhibitions at E‑WERK Freiburg, Germany (2024); Public Gallery, London (2023); Taipei Fine Arts Museum (2022); Volt, Eastbourne (2022); Goldsmiths CCA, London (2022); and mother’s tankstation, London (2022). Her work has been featured in recent group exhibitions at Galerie du Monde, Hong Kong (2023); Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Humber Street Gallery, Hull and South London Gallery, London (2022); Belmacz, London (2021); San Mei Gallery, London (2021, 2020); Bloc Projects, Sheffield (2021); South London Gallery (2021); and Cromwell Place, London (2021). Huang was awarded the Grand Prize in the Taipei Art Awards in 2022 and the Mark Tanner Sculpture Award in 2023. Forthcoming projects include solo exhibitions at Tate Britain, London, UK (2024) esea comtemporary, Manchester (2024); Hong Foundation, Taiwan (2024); Cross Lane Projects, Kendal (2025) and Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan (2025).