The Asian-American artist Martin Wong was the ultimate outsider. Born in Portland, Oregon, he was raised in San Francisco’s Chinatown. In 1978, he relocated to Manhattan, where he settled in a cheap hotel overlooking the South Street Seaport. Wong eventually moved to the Lower East Side, home to a thriving Puerto Rican community. He painted the vibrancy of the city, highlighting its density and verticality. Musty stairwells, tall buildings, scorched brick and rubble—these were subjects of fascination. The neighborhood grew quieter around 1990, as many of Wong’s peers fell to AIDS. In the mid-90s, when he himself became sick, Wong moved back to his parents’ house. He continued to paint until his death, in 1999. This exhibition at Wrightwood 659 features over 100 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and photographs. —Elena Clavarino