Michael Wong

March 5 – April 25, 2010

Much of the content of Michael’s work focuses on the historical landscape, combined with noted political figures to create anachronistic hybrids of time and place. The tradition of political satire and cartoon also plays a central role in the content of his work, inspiring him to use subtle social commentary to investigate contemporary events. 

The act of drawing, a direct communication between the eye to the hand, reveals the artist’s strategy of simultaneous depiction and interpretation.

Artist Statement:  Much of the content of my work focuses on the historical landscape, combined with noted political figures to create anachronistic hybrids of time and place. The tradition of political satire and cartoon also plays a central role in the content of my work, inspiring me to use subtle social commentary to investigate contemporary events.

 I cite Honoré Daumier and Enrique Chagoya as primary influences on my work, particularly in terms to their incisive yet humorous approaches to depicting the political events and philosophies of their times.

As a American artist of Chinese descent, I identify myself as the other outsider, one who is neither grounded in western or eastern identity, and employ my feelings of cultural isolation to create new representations of identity and history.