Kristina Wong: An Artist Statement
Courtesy of East West Players
As an artist, the mediums I’ve used include solo theater shows, community theater projects, serving in public office, culture jamming, public pranks, viral videos, reality television, mutual aid, sewing and craft, and essays. I would describe my aesthetic at its best as subversive, humorous, and endearingly inappropriate. The unifying characteristic of my work is employing humor to explore difficult subjects and amplify marginalized experiences, using the premise of “autobiography” as a starting point of exploration. I criss-cross avant-garde performance art, arts and crafts, comedy, and cultural criticism. I am influenced by culture jammers like Banksy, Michael Moore, and the Yes Men who subvert the performances of everyday life to make social commentary and change. I am also inspired by a long history of immersive theater and interactive performance art work, artists like Yoko Ono, James Luna, and Guillermo Gómez-Peña who use their bodies as the site of commentary.
The persona of “Kristina Wong” in my shows is the “know-it-all social justice warrior” who tackles oppression with tactics that are simplistic in idealism and often self-serving. This naivete unfolds in hilarious blunders, forcing Kristina Wong towards more poignant investigation and, always, no easy resolution. My nebulous identity continues to shift within the communities I live, evolve, and interact with. I see my performance work as a humorous and ephemeral response to the invisible and visible boundaries that shape my world, rather than a hermetic declaration of my identity.
I’m interested in making art that responds to the current moment, but doesn’t leave me angrier and more distraught than the world already does. Of late, reality has felt more satirical than the crafted fictitious satire I used to make on stage. As a once “wacky performance artist” I am learning that the most subversive thing I can do to disrupt the world is to sit inside sincerity, embrace earnestness, and shift the stage in which my ideas are read. I still believe that there is joy and humor in how I approach this work and am constantly wrestling with how to find joy and make grounded messaging that isn’t just reactively pushing back or magnifying anger without any release.
In my Artist Statement from 2008, I stated “I believe that as an artist, my job is not to ‘fix’ the wrongs of the world with easy answers, but instead, to further complicate the question by making the invisible — visible, and hopefully, creating some space for public discourse.” Now, as we live through the battering of democracy, a global pandemic, and unending socio-political and environmental crises, I’d like to amend that statement. Artists might not want the responsibility of fixing the world. Artists may just want to make interesting art pieces for contemplation. But cultural shifts propel social movements forward, ultimately being what will dismantle white supremacy. Artists are the ultimate hope for real social change. Art does the work of social work, therapy, community building, education, and culture-shifting to set the stage for legislative change.
More about Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord:
Audio Description of the Friendship Quilt
Listen to an audio description of the friendship quilt that the Auntie Sewing Squad made for writer/performer Kristina Wong, on display at The Armory throughout the run of Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord.
Anti-Asian Sentiment During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Kristina Wong emphasizes the affects of anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic in her show. Learn more about the resurgence of AAPI hate and the affects it had on these communities.
Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord Plot Summary
Spoiler alert! A brief overview of Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord.
Auntie Sewing Squad
Learn more about the origin of the Auntie Sewing Squad and how Kristina Wong earned her iconic title "Sweatshop Overlord."
Timeline of Events Mentioned in Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord
This production highlights many recent worldwide events. Check out this timeline to understand the order of these events in detail.
Reviews of Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord
"This social commentary — both fierce and darkly funny — was the theater experience I didn’t know I needed. I left feeling I could almost wrap my mind around what we’ve been through and inspired to meet the next news cycle with more compassion and ...
Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord Reading List
Calling all readers! Multnomah County Library put together a reading list inspired by our production of Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord.
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