On the 2nd floor of the cafeteria, spread across tabletops scattered with broken tiles and metal clasps, lay the newest additions to the Shanghai American School community.
New additions, in this case, meant two life size mosaics that are to be placed underneath the windows outside of the cafeteria.
Created by visiting artist Joshua Winer, the two mosaics closely relate to the school’s history. Organized in a chronological fashion, the first mosaic revisits history through the incorporation of some of the most iconic elements of the school, from the first building in 1912 to the renowned bust of Juno. The second mosaic serves to capture the spirit of the school through stories and scenes among student activities.
“One of the challenges at first was that I didn’t know much about this school. I had to go do my own research. I searched up the school on Facebook and I had to dig deep into their websites to create this piece,” says Winer.
Winer, who holds both an art degree from Yale and a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard, took various paths before finding his way into the world of mosaics. Starting out, he placed a concentration on painting. Later, he also pursued a job as an architect.
“I realized it [architecture] wasn’t the job for me. As an architect, I had to sit for long periods of times. I didn’t like how it limited me.”
Ultimately, it was a trip to Europe that sparked his passion for public art. The frescos and mosaics, placed within its historical architectural settings, was the genesis of a career of making art that complements with its environment.
“I knew that was what I wanted to do.”, says Winer.
Today, students in the Pudong campus are welcome to come work with Winer himself in creating the piece.
