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The Arts Intel Report

Martin Wong: Malicious Mischief

Martin Wong, Tell My Troubles to the Eight Ball (Eureka), 1978–81.

June 16 – Sept 17, 2023
Arkwright Rd, London NW3 6DG, United Kingdom

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, then home to a thriving Puerto Rican community. He painted the vibrance 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 parent’s house. He continued to paint until his death in 1999. This exhibition presents over 100 works by Wong. —Elena Clavarino

Photo: © Martin Wong Foundation/courtesy of the Martin Wong Foundation and P.P.O.W, New York