Art as Healing, Life as Art
Fou Residency
Tulum, Mexico
Fou Residency is a seasonal, one to two-month program located between the tropical forest and the Caribbean Sea in Tulum, Mexico. Rooted in the philosophy of “Art as Healing, Life as Art,” it offers a sanctuary for artists, researchers, and healers to reconnect with nature, immerse themselves in indigenous culture and craft, and explore the intersections of creativity, ecology, and inner transformation. Unlike residency programs centered around social networking or shared production, Fou emphasizes solitude, self-led creative exploration, and deep listening to the land and local community. Only one resident is hosted at a time, offering undistracted space for reflection, regeneration, and focused practice.
Timeline & Local Connection
The Fou Residency program runs four times a year, with each residency lasting one to two months, depending on the availability of both the artist and the space. The general residency period spans from January to November.
In addition to time and space for focused creative work, residents are invited to engage with Tulum’s rich cultural and ecological landscape. Depending on their interests, artists may be introduced to local craftsmen, artists, healers, musicians, community builders, and Mayan cultural stewards. We also foster community collaboration through partnerships, including with the grassroots church Casa de Oración Camino al Cielo in Tulum’s Invisible Zone, where residents may choose to lead educational art workshops.
International Exposure
Virtual studio visits and conversations will be arranged regularly during the residency with international curators, writers, scientists, artists, collectors, gallerists, and other creative professionals — providing critical feedback, global exchange, and expanded visibility while maintaining the residency’s quiet, reflective ethos.
Fou Gallery will actively showcase residents’ work through its newsletter, Instagram, and other marketing channels to build visibility and audience engagement. Post-residency, there is potential for residents to host workshops, artist talks, or lectures either at Fou Gallery’s New York space or through partner institutions. Participation is optional and based on each resident’s comfort and practice.
Advisory Board
Nina Chkareuli-Mdivani (she/her, b. Georgia) (nina@ninamdivani.com) is a Georgian-born and New York-based curator, writer, and researcher. She holds undergraduate degrees in International Relations and Gender Studies from Tbilisi State University and Mount Holyoke College, and a graduate degree in Museum Studies from the City University of New York. Chkareuli-Mdivani has contributed reviews, essays, and interviews to e-flux, Hyperallergic, Flash Art International, Artforum, MoMa.post, The Brooklyn Rail, The Arts Newspaper, Whitehot Magazine, Berlin Art Link, and among others. Her first book King is Female was published by Wienand Verlag (Berlin) in 2018. Her research involves the intersection of art history, museum, and decolonization studies focusing on totalitarian art and trauma theory. She has curated over ten exhibitions in New York, Germany, Latvia, and Georgia.
Meng Du (she/her b.1986, Beijing, China) graduated from the Graphic Design program of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing (B.F.A.) in 2008 and the Department of Glass Program of Rochester Institute of Technology (M.F.A.) in 2013. Currently, she is living and working in Beijing. Her work has continued to exhibit in China, Europe, and in the U.S.A., including Shanghai Museum of Glass, Shanghai (2023); Genesis Foundation, Beijing (2022); Today Art Museum, Beijing (2021); The Delaware Contemporary, U.S.A. (2020); Fou Gallery, New York (2022/2019/2016); Shanghai Museum of Glass, Shanghai (2018) and The International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa at Shiinoki Cultural Complex, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan (2016). Meng’s solo show at Fou Gallery (2016) signifies the debut of her artistic career, marking her inaugural solo exhibition. She served as a residency artist at Seto International Ceramic & Glass Art Exchange Program, Seto, Japan (2021) and Aichi University of Education Glass Program, Aichi, Japan (2017). She was invited to give lectures at TEDTalk (2024), YiXi (2020) and ROG International Art Project Online Symposium (2020). In 2016, she won the Honorable Mention for The International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa (Kanazawa, Japan). In 2018, she won the 2018 Saxe Emerging Artist Award at 48th Glass Art Society Conference (Venice, Italy). She is the youngest artist who presented a solo exhibition at the Shanghai Museum of Glass. Her work is in the permanent collection of Burberry (Shanghai), Corning Glass Works (Shanghai), Shanghai Museum of Glass, Zhuzhong Collection (Beijing) and Victoria and Albert Museum (London).
Yang Yan (she/her, b. Guangzhou, China) works at the Harvard Art Museums as assistant curator of the collection for the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art, which comprises works of art from Asia, which comprises works of art from Asia, the Islamic world, and ancient Mediterranean areas spanning more than 7,000 years, Yang coordinates and prepares permanent collections installations, conducts collections research, facilitates new acquisitions and loans, collaborates with faculty, and supports curricular gallery projects and special exhibitions. Her research interests focus on East Asian art. Recently, she helped organize and support the exhibitions Objects of Addiction: Opium, Empire, and the Chinese Art Trade (2023–24), Earthly Delights: 6,000 Years of Asian Ceramics (2022), and Painting Edo: Japanese Art from the Feinberg Collection (2020–21), among others.
Wendy Letven (she/her, b.1962, Philadelphia, U.S.A.) is a multidisciplinary artist working in sculpture, installation and painting in the New York area. Raised in Philadelphia, she received a B.F.A. from Tyler School of Art and an M.F.A. from Hunter College. She currently teaches Art and Design at New York University and at Parsons School of Design. She has created installations for Riverside Park Conservancy (New York, 2021), Urban Outfitter Headquarter (Philadelphia, 2020), PULSE Art Fair (Miami, 2019), Portal: Governors Island Art Fair (New York, 2019), Art on Paper Fair (New York, 2019), Market Art + Design (Bridgehampton, New York, 2019), Flatiron Prow Artspace (New York, 2018), and The Sheila R. Johnson Gallery at the New School (New York, 2018) among others. She is a MacDowell Colony Fellow and a recipient of a Workspace Grant from Dieu Donne Papermill in New York. Recently Letven was awarded a commission for NYC's Percent for the Arts Fund to create a large ceiling sculpture for a new public school in New York (2022).
Sponsorship & Partnership Opportunities
Fou Residency warmly welcomes sponsorships from individuals, foundations, non-profit organizations and corporate sponsorship who are passionate about supporting ecological art, healing practices, and cross-cultural exchange.
Sponsors will receive:
A gifted work by the resident artist as a token of appreciation
Opportunities for meaningful engagement and dialogue with the artist
Public acknowledgment in all residency-related communications
The potential for brand-aligned collaborative promotions
We are open to exploring tailor-made partnership models that reflect shared values. If you are interested in supporting this initiative, we would be delighted to connect and discuss further.