In the spring of 2018, the Shanghai Museum of Glass (SMG) announced The Room - the first solo exhibition by Meng Du in China, from April 29 to October 29, 2018. Since it’s opening seven years ago, SMG has been dedicated to supporting the growth of young Chinese glass artists. Young artists are encouraged to create their work in a bold and honest way, reflecting the spirituality of people today, while promoting the development of glass art in China.

“I settled into an organized, slow-paced and simple life in the suburbs of the U.S. over the past several years. After I came back to China, I went through an uncomfortable transition before I adapted to this rapid developing information society. The visible or invisible boundaries are creating barriers around us, just like how our daily life is compartmentalized.”

The change in Meng’s trajectory of life made her consider what glass can express as an art medium and what the boundary of glass is. At this new stage of her life, Meng decided to explore the prevailing but invisible walls and barriers through the unique form of glass. In this exhibition, the artist Meng Du offers a dramatic interpretation of pervasive “limitations” and “boundaries” in her usual, although subtle and intuitive way. Walking through the exhibit, the viewers will experience the transient and translucent nature of glass while looking at the fantastical and strange scenes. Each scene reflects a different type of limitation. Rooms of various sizes and styles function as large installations and a stage. Viewers will have intimate contact with stories and emotions through sight, sound and touch. Apart from the visible limitations posed by walls or cages, each of us experience invisible restrictions in the society. Just as Rousseau said, “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.” Conventions, rules, authorities, homesickness, nostalgia, and judgement from other people restrict us from true freedom. These restrictions are sometimes referred as the “comfort zone” that is hard to break away from. It is very unpleasant to attempt to break away from social norms.