Martin Wong: Malicious Mischiefs

Martin Wong is recognized for his depictions of social, sexual, and political scenographies from the American 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Poetically weaving together narratives of queer existence, marginal communities, and urban gentrification, Wong stands out as an important countercultural voice at odds with the art establishment’s reactionary discourse at the time.

Heavily influenced by the artist’s immediate surroundings, Wong’s practice merges the visual languages of Chinese iconography, urban poetry, graffiti, carceral aesthetics, and sign language. His work offers a valuable insight into decisive periods of recent American history.

Published on occasion of the exhibition ‘Martin Wong: Malicious Mischief’: initiated by KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin. Curated by Krist Gruijthuijsen and Agustín Pérez-Rubio, and produced in collaboration with Camden Art Centre, Stedelijk Museum and Museo Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo.