Xurui (Violette) Wang
Costume Design
www.xuruiwangdesign.com

Xurui Wang is a graduate student at the University of Connecticut (UConn). This summer, she plans to graduate with an MFA in Costume Design. She was born and raised in Shenyang, China where she first developed her interest in theatrical costumes. After studying photography, at Luxun Academy of Fine Arts in China, she decided to transfer to SouthEast Missouri State University, where she continued her studies. Upon graduation, Xurui is planning to start her early design career in the film industry. During her time at UConn, she immersed herself in researching historical costumes. She spent extra time honing her construction skills, taking on additional sewing projects. She rose to the challenge of joggling a rigorous schedule of designing main stage productions, teaching undergraduate students, and fulfilling a challenging graduate assistantship. At UConn, she had the privilege of assisting the costume designer Fan Zhang, at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, on the production of Mama Mia and Cabaret. She was able to obtain this assignment in her first year of graduate school, which is a position traditionally given to more senior students. Xurui learned an immense amount of skill, which she continues to draw upon in her own practice. She was able to work with equity actors to design three main stage productions, featured on the Connecticut Repertory Theatre. While at UConn, Xurui was able to cultivate her bilingual skills, maintaining her native Mandarin, improving her English, and learning Korean. Xurui’s attention to detail and ability to quickly grasp new concepts makes her a valuable member of any professional costume team. In addition to her education and experience, she has practical skills, navigating Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, and Premiere.