“In the end, in every visitation of places, we carry with us this burden of what has already been lived, already been seen, but the effort we are prompted to make every day is that of rediscovering a gaze that erases and forgets habit; not so much to see with different eyes, as due to the necessity getting back our bearings anew in space and time” – L. Ghirri, Paesaggio Italiano, Milano 1989
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
Huang’s multidisciplinary practice investigates 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 such as glass blowing and casting, as well as film and sound-based media, 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.
As part of the MTSA’s National Touring Programme, ‘There is nothing old under the sun’ comes to Cross Lane Projects after it was exhibited at Standpoint in London from 17 May to 29 June 2024, then esea contemporary in Manchester 28 Sept to 8 Dec 2024. Alongside the works created from the MTSA, Huang includes a piece commissioned by the University of Salford Art Collection and esea contemporary, developed during a residency in Manchester. This work has now entered the University of Salford Art Collection as a permanent legacy of the project.
Steph Huang
(b. 1990, Changhua, Taiwan) lives and works in London. She received her MA in sculpture from the Royal College of Art, 2021. Recent solo exhibitions include Art Now: ‘See, See, Sea’, Tate Britain, UK, 2024; ‘There Is Nothing Old Under The Sun’, Standpoint London, UK, 2024; ‘The Water that Bears the Boat’, E-WERK Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany, 2024; ‘I Will See You When the Week Ends’, Public Gallery, London, UK, 2023; Taipei Art Awards, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan, 2022; ‘Deep Shallow’, Volt, Eastbourne, UK, 2022; ‘A Great Increase In Business Is On Its Way’, Goldsmiths CCA, London, UK; ‘Everything and Nothing’, mother’s tankstation, London, UK, 2022. Selected group exhibitions include Sherbet Green, London, 2023; Public Gallery, London, 2023; Galerie du Monde, Hong Kong, 2023; South London Gallery, London, 2022.
In 2023, Huang was awarded the Mark Tanner Sculpture Award and was a recipient of The Henry Moore Foundation Artist Award. In 2022, Huang was awarded the Grand Prize at the Taipei Art Awards. Forthcoming projects include solo exhibitions at Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan (2025).
There is nothing old under the sun press release
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