Mengru Du
Rhode Island School of Design, United States
Tel.: +1 (401) 339-8148 E-mail: mengrudu128@gmail.com
EDUCATION
2023-2025
Master's Degree in Fine Arts
Department of Photography, Rhode Island School of Design
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Certificate: Certificate in Collegiate Teaching in Art and Design (CTAD)
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2017-2021
Bachelor's Degree in Economics (Major), Studio Art (Minor)
University of Virginia
EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS
2025
Lucid Dreams, Group Exhibition, New York, NY (Mixed Media Installation)
Penumbra Foundation, RISD MFA Photography
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Investigated intergenerational motherhood through the dynamics of control, care, and transformation.
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Drew from personal experiences with maternal relationships and companion animal to reinterpret domestic rituals, revealing maternal love as both nurturing and disciplinary.
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Utilized performative and photographic processes to examine how embodied practice can transform inherited trauma into empathy and self-recognition.
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2024
Home/World, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI (Sculpture)
Sol Koffler Gallery, RISD Photo Graduate Biennial
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Interrogated the capitalist construction of beauty and the illusion of choice within systems of consumption.
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Used a Rubik’s cube constructed from miniature resin eyes, displayed on a glass cake stand and encircled by resin hands, to explore beauty as both spectacle and commodity.
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Explored how ideals of perfection and self-optimization are structured, circulated, and continually reproduced under aesthetic capitalism.
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2024
The Unspeakable State, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI (Co-curated exhibition)
(Curator & Organizer) Red Eye Gallery
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Developed the exhibition’s conceptual framework and thematic structure, reflecting on the entanglement between selfhood and environment.
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Investigated how subjectivity and objectivity coexist as parallel modes of being, and how individuals negotiate choice, compromise, and adaptation within these states.
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Curated an exhibition integrating diverse artistic practices ranging from painting to performance, featuring The Unspeakable State, which examined the boundaries between the self and the other, proposing uniqueness as both the condition and the evidence of existence.
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2025
Aunty’s House Student Exhibition, Providence, RI (Faculty mentor for student-curated exhibition) (Co-instructor) Aunty’s House & RISD Color Lab
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Guided students through the entire curatorial process, including conceptual development, thematic framing, exhibition design, installation, and public communication.
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Introduced methods for writing curatorial texts, designing promotional materials, and producing exhibition brochure to promote students’ understanding of how curatorial practice integrates research, collaboration, and presentation.
2023
I Dreamed, I Dream, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI (Archival Inkjet Prints)
Woods-Gerry Gallery, RISD Photography Triennial Exhibition
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Transformed encounters with animal death into symbolic constellations through photographic and material reconstruction, reflecting on trauma, perception, and the agency of response.
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Explored how artistic practice mediates grief and reclaims psychological freedom, drawing on Viktor E. Frankl’s notion of the space between stimulus and response.
2023
Palimpsest, Group Exhibition, Providence, RI (Mixed media installation)
Red Eye Gallery
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Investigated how medical misinterpretation and familial anxiety shape the body as a site of control and care.
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Transformed the trauma of misdiagnosis into a material practice of repair through repetitive needle-felting gestures and performance of throwing out felted masks made with cat fur, exploring the intersections of pathology, memory, and resilience.
WORK EXPERIENCES
2021-2022
M Woods Museum, Beijing, China (Operations Support Intern)
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Supported exhibition development for Man Ray, Austin Lee, and The British Museum shows to better communicate the show concept to the public
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Managed retail and online sales channels while organizing Night Art Gallery programs to enhance visitor engagement and exhibition visibility.
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2020
NetEase Interactive Entertainment, Guangzhou, China (Esports Games Planning & Operations Intern)
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Developed social media strategies (Weibo and WeChat) for Dream in Jianghu & Famous Sword World.
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Prepared promotional event materials (e.g., posters and banners, posts, videos) that reached over one million views to expand public engagement.
WORK EXPERIENCES
2023-2025
Rhode Island School of Design Fellowship
EXTRACURRICULAR EXPERIENCES
2025
Undergraduate courses (Co-Teacher)
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Designed courses and supervised undergraduate students in developing professional skills essential for emerging artists, including writing artist statements, preparing for open calls, and curating exhibitions.
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Gained experience in coordinate multiple institutions to facilitate student learning, teaching theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
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2023-2024
Red Eye Gallery (Gallery Manager)
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Organized and scheduled exhibitions, collaborating with artists and curators to develop conceptually cohesive shows.
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Coordinated installation processes to ensure that spatial design and lighting supported the curatorial narrative and viewer experience.
SKILLS
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Professional skills: photography, curation, video editing, retouching, etc.
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Software: Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere, InDesign, Capture One, DaVinci Resolve, etc.
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Soft skills: independent thinking, time management, leadership, cooperation, problem solving, communication, etc.
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Languages: English (TOEFL 116), Mandarin (native).
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Hobbies: Hiking, dog training, and cooking etc.