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.

Edited by Krist Gruijthuijsen & Agustín Pérez Rubio. With contributions from Marci Kwon, Sofie Krogh Christensen, Agustín Pérez Rubio, David J. Getsy, Julie Ault, Heinz Peter Knes & Danh Vo.