We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Wang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, why did you pursue a creative career?
I initially studied Anthropology and International Studies for the first two years at UC-Irvine. Later on, I took some classes in filmmaking, and in my senior year, I was selected by the school to go to Nepal and create a documentary about a farm run by a couple at the top of Mountain Manhku in rural Nepal. This farm provided a safe haven for struggling women and children to live, work, and thrive. That two months greatly motivated me to keep working on films, and I’m very interested in experimental films and video art. I decided to pursue a graduate degree and was accepted to Columbia University’s visual arts MFA program. After graduating, I worked with galleries and museums to create videos. As I continued to make work, I found myself experiencing more joy and fulfillment in the process.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I initially worked a lot with documentary filming, but over time, I became interested in blurring the boundaries between genres in film and video. This inspired me to explore mixing elements in fiction, documentary, and experimental film. While studying at Columbia, I found inspiration from paintings and sculptures, which led me to consider the space in which video work was shown and how to incorporate the space into the artwork itself. I want to be creative about it. After graduating from school, I started to work with galleries and museum to exhibit video work and create installations. As I continued to make work, I found myself experiencing more joy and fulfillment in the process. It definitely has many challenges during the journey. I feel it’s important to continue pursuing our passion. Whatever we choose to do, we should always try our best.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout to UCI DigiFilm Program where my film journey started. I didn’t know any things about filmmaking. I found my interests in art and film in the program. It created a positive environment for people to tell and visualize their stories.

Website: https://www.ryanmuchenwang.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muchenryan

Image Credits
Ryan Muchen Wang

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