Kristen Liu-Wong and Jillian Evelyn

graphic art

'Keeping It Clean' by Kristen Liu-Wong.

Part of PangeaSeed's educational print program, 'Printed Oceans', raising awareness and education of pressing marine environmental issues through the lens of some of today's most respected creative minds.

16" x 20" 9 colour screen print, in a signed and numbered Regular edition of 60 for $120; and a signed and numbered Rainbow Glitter Foil Variant edition of 40 for $170.

On sale now through PangeaSeed. Proceeds from this print will go to help power PangeaSeed Foundation's global ARTivism efforts and the artists who dedicate their time and talent to their cause.

For more information on how you can help save our seas, please visit https://www.pangeaseed.foundation.

#repost @kliuwong Kristen Liu-Wong (recently Los Angeles, California, USA. b. San Francisco, California, USA, 1991-). First image is a private commission for a holiday gift that features festive dim sum, 2022. Second image is Still Life With Dog, 2016. Acrylic and gouache on wood panel, 8 × 8 in., 20.3 × 20.3 cm. I appreciate the canine (and feline) representation in this artist's work. @coreyhelfordgalleryandcirca-blog @coreyhelfordgallery @newimageartgallery @newimageart

ARTIST: Kristen Liu-Wong

Kristen Liu-Wong’s “Hard Pressed.”

Currently on view at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles, California is artist Kristen Liu-Wong’s incredible solo exhibition, “Hard Pressed.”

Liu-Wong’s work blends everyday occurrences from her life with abstracted nightmares and crude humor. Trained as an illustrator, she tries to tell a story with every piece she makes, developing a personal and slightly sinister narrative within each painting. Using vibrant colors, heavy patterning, and tight compositions, the work draws inspiration from a variety of sources including but not limited to American folk art, the cartoons she watched as a kid, Shunga (Japanese term for erotic art), and her appreciation for architecture. She is always striving to make work that is highly personal but altered enough to allow individual interpretations to be applied to every story she paints.

Regarding her upcoming show, Liu-Wong shares, “Hard Pressed is an exploration of the internal and external pressures that we have to contend with every day. Worry and strife are a part of the human condition and unfortunately over the past couple of years, it has become an ever-expanding constant in almost everyone’s life as disease, social discord, war, and environmental issues threaten to overwhelm us all. Pressures can also be interpreted as human impulses, forces in our very own nature, that inherently influence and sway us.”

Adding, “As I began to prepare my work for the show, I often found myself becoming consumed by my attempts to balance my everyday responsibilities with my work obligations, my personal obligations, and my societal obligations; this idea of a barely stable balancing act, and being consumed or overwhelmed by the minutiae of life, seeped its way into my work. In these paintings, harried women contort themselves into impossible poses as they multitask, a figure grapples with her inner demon, a woman burns as people cavort around her, precariously balanced objects threaten to topple over, and there is a constant underlying tension as the figures in the pieces strain and strive in their existence. These women grapple with the pressure to feel good, to look good, to act good, to fuck good, to be good, and to define what ‘good’ is for themselves. Water, serving as a recurring motif, seeps, flows, and spills over throughout many of the works, while problems that range from the mundane to the existential to the extraordinary play out as the viewers watch on.”

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Kristen Liu-Wong - Still Life With Fish, 2016

Kristen Liu-Wong

Face Claim List

Below the cut, you will find our list of face claims featured on our canon list. Enjoy this sneak peak at what is coming your way when the canon lists start being released this week!

FC List:

Abigail Cowen Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Amita Suman Amy Adams Ana de Armas André De Shields Andrew Garfield Angela Bassett Anna Kendrick Anne Hathaway Anthony Anderson Anthony Mackie Anya Chalotra Anya Taylor Joy Aja Naomi King Avan Jogia Avantika Audra McDonald Austin Butler Beanie Feldstein Ben Barnes Beyoncé BD Wong Bette Midler Caleb McLaughlin Camila Mendes Catherine O'Hara Charles Melton Chiwetel Ejiofor Chloe Bennet Chloe Bailey Christina Hendricks Christina Nadin Chrissy Metz Cody Christian Constance Wu Courtney Eaton Dakota Johnson Danai Gurira Daniel Ezra Daniel Wu Danny Trejo David Harbour Deepika Padukone Denzel Washington Dev Patel Diana Silvers Diane Keaton Dianna Agron Dove Cameron Dylan O'Brien Eddie Redmayne Eiza González Emily Alyn Lind Eva Longoria Ewan McGregor Fan Bingbing Felix Mallard Florence Pugh Froy Gutierrez Gabrielle Union Gemma Chan George Takei Gillian Anderson Gina Rodriguez Gina Torres Hailee Steinfeld Halle Bailey Harrison Ford Harry Shum JR Harry Styles Henry Cavill Hero Fiennes Tiffin Hunter Schafer Hugh Jackman Idris Elba J. Cameron-Smith Jacob Artist Jacob Elordi Jameela Jamil James McAvoy Jamie Chung Jamie Lee Curtis Jasmin Savoy Brown Jason Momoa Jason Sudekis Jean Smart Jeff Goldblum Jeffrey Wright Jenna Ortega Jensen Ackles Jesse Williams Jessica Chastain JK Simmons Joe Locke John Boyega John Cho John Krasinski Jon Hamm Jonathan Bailey Jordan Connor Jordan Peele Julianne Moore Justice Smith Kate Winslet Kathryn Hahn Kathryn Newton Keanu Reeves Keith Powers Keke Palmer Kerry Washington Kit Connor [1] Kit Connor [2] KJ Apa Kristen Bell Kumail Nanjiani Lana Condor Laura Harrier Lauren Ridloff Leonardo DiCaprio Letita Wright Lili Reinhart Liv Hewson Logan Browning Logan Lerman Loretta Devine Lupita Nyong'o Mädchen Amick Madelyn Cline Madison Bailey Mahershala Ali Manny Jacinto Manny Montana Margot Robbie Mark Consuelos Mark Hamill Mario Lopez Mason Gooding Maude Apatow Megan thee Stallion Melanie Lynskey Melissa Barrera Michael Cimino Michael Evans Behling Michael Fassbender Michael Peña Michael Shannon Michelle Yeoh Morgan Freeman Naomi Scott Natalia Dyer Natasha Liu Bordizzo Nina Dobrev Noah Centineo Normani Octavia Spencer Olivia Coleman Olivia Rodrigo Oscar Isaac Paul Rudd Pedro Pascal Phoebe Deynover Phoebe Tonkin Phylicia Rashad Priyanka Chopra Rachel Weisz Rachel Zegler Rahul Kohli Reese Witherspoon Regé-Jean Page Renee Rapp [1] Renee Rapp [2] Riz Ahmed Robert Pattinson Robert Downey JR Rome Flynn Rosamund Pike Rose Byrne Rudy Pankow Ryan Gosling Ryan Guzman Ryan Reynolds Sadie Sink Sam Claflin Samantha Logan Samara Weaving Sandra Bullock Sandra Oh Sara Ramirez Sarah Jeffrey Sarah Paulson Sebastian Stan Selena Gomez Sigourney Weaver Simu Liu Shawn Mendes Skeet Ulrich Sophia Ali Sophia Bush Sophie Turner Sonam Kapoor Sophie Thatcher Sterling K. Brown Steve Martin Steven Yeun Storm Reid Sydney Sweeney [1] Sydney Sweeney [2] Taika Waititi Tati Gabrielle Taraji P. Henson Taron Egerton Taye Diggs Taylor Zakhar Perez Ted Danson Timothée Chalamet Thomas Doherty Tom Blyth Tom Ellis Tom Hardy Tom Holland Tony Goldwyn Tyler James Williams Tyler Posey Uzo Adubo Victoria Pedretti Viola Davis Whoopi Goldberg Wolfgang Novogratz Will Smith Willem Dafoe William Jackson Harper Winona Ryder Winston Duke Yasmin Finney Zayn Malik Zendaya Zoey Deutch

Kristen Liu-Wong

"I'M TRYING TO RELAX"   2022

https://www.kristenliuart.com/contact

Liu-Wong's work blends everyday occurrences from her life with abstracted nightmares and crude humor. Trained as an illustrator, she tries to tell a story with every piece she makes, developing a personal and slightly sinister narrative within each painting. 

Using candy colors, heavy patterning, and tight compositions, the work draws inspiration from American folk art, the cartoons she watched as a kid, Shunga (Japanese term for erotic art), and her appreciation for architecture.

good morning! thanks to everyone who made our opening day such a success. we’re so proud of the muses and writers who have decided to join us here. that being said, today i’d like to prioritize fcs of color. so, below, you can find a list of some fcs we’d love to see here. why don’t you give them a look and perhaps, apply for one (or three) of them? 

k. devery jacobs, kiowa gordon,  d’pharaoh woon-a-tai, jessica matten, alex meraz, martin sensmeier, dakota beavers, amber midthunder, zahn mcclarnon, grace dove, shamier anderson, aldis hodge, aja naomi king, kofi siroboe, riz ahmed, aisha hart, laith ashley, zion moreno, savannah lee smith, lucy liu, maggie q, elodie yung, jordan gonzalez, harvey guillen, michael trevino, lindsey morgan, benedict wong, don lee, brian tyree henry, danny ramirez, brandon perea, daniel wu, daniel sunjata, aramis knight, hiroyuki sanada, nonso anozie, raymond ablack, conrad ricamora, iko uwais, joe taslim, arifin putra, mahesh jadu, rahul kohli, sachin bhatt, uktarsh ambudkar, kristen kreuk, joel kim booster, chella man, brian michael smith, laverne cox, dominique jackson, cooper jackson, gabourey sidibe, and so many more.

'Take A Load Off' by Kristen Liu-Wong. 12" x 16" fine art print on Moab Entrada 290gsm, in a signed and numbered limited edition of 100 for $75. On sale Tuesday October 18 at 1pm PT through Corey Helford Gallery.

Research

Kristen liu-wong 

Kristen Liu-Wong is an artist from Los Angeles California who had a solo exhibition called Hard Pressed.  Liu-Wong's artwork The Burden, (2022) (figure 1) is of a woman struggling to carry the weight of the things she does such as her job, extra curricular activities, medication, food etc. This painting represents how hard it is to be a human and to juggle everyday activities that we as a society are expected to do. The Burden (2022), shows an over exaggerated style in which she has enhanced the figures muscles to show the strain that they are going through. The figure’s face also reinforces the strain and the struggle they are facing in modern society. 

There is a Greek Mythology named Sisyphus where I found many similarities in comparison to The Burden (2022). Sisyphus was the first king of Corinth and became well known for his tricks that involved cheating death. Zeus, the king of the gods, punished Sisyphus by making him roll a boulder up a hill. Sisyphus’s punishment was to push the boulder up the hill for eternity because of the weight of his crimes. The connection is that an equal amount of weight is placed on millennials like us to keep up with social life, work life etc.

However on the other hand there is a positive swing on it. Sisyphus doesn't actually mind pushing the rock, if anything he sees it as he has outwitted the Gods and the worst they could do was make him push a rock. Everytime Sisyphus reached the top, the boulder rolled back down to the bottom, which forced Sisyphus to start the task again. In the same sense we carry these large burdens that feel like endless cycles of work that we are pressured to complete in our everyday lives. Kristen Liu-Wong has a similar approach to the mythology of Sisyphus in her painting The Burden (2022), as she explains the weight and pressure humans carry in our everyday lives to complete simple tasks such as going to work, taking medication, extra curricular activities and more. Both Sisyphus and The Burden show a connection towards the difficulties humans face such as completing day to day tasks. 

My work and how it relates to Liu-Wong

In relation to my pastel drawings, Liu-Wong’s work comes from a similar place to mine in terms of the otherworldliness of her paintings. The Burden, shows more crisp and cleaner lines as opposed to my work, the lines I create are gestural and more child-like. Instead of having a steady hand while drawing, I let go of this aspect and draw in a way where proportion doesn't matter. My drawings respond to the overwhelmingness of everyday life by returning to nature.

4me4you visits Stolen Space Gallery which showcased “BE STILL, LIFE”.

‘Be Still, Life’ exhibition brings together StolenSpace artists who capture still life with a fresh perspective, who have put their creative stamp on the classic principle of ‘still life’ art.

We’re living in a world where peace, tranquility and ’stillness’ is ever diminishing, it’s hard to find that stillness when we are presented with fast paced technology, and information at our fingertips. With this show we pause time, offer quiet reflection, and a moment to pause and question what we surround ourselves with. ‘Be Still, Life’ examines still life in our contemporary, and how it has transformed from it’s art historical roots to be relevant in today’s society: a snap shot of the ‘now’.

Artists exhibiting: Beau Stanton, Bennett Slater, Dan Rawlings, Dan Witz, Dave Pollot, David Bray, Hans Sures, Jack Panik, James Joyce, Joram Roukes, Kathy Ager, Kristen Liu-Wong, Nick Sheehy, Noah Verrier, Paul Stephenson, Peter Frederiksen, Sarah Best, Simon Monk, Sofia Enriquez, Steeven Salvat, Thiago Nevs, Tom Gerrard, Usugrow, Xavier Casalta, Yohta Matsuoka.

Check out this listing I just found on Poshmark: RVCA || NWT LP X KLW VA ESSENTIAL LEGGING.

TGIF: Roundup for April 7, 2023

Happy Easter! In case you missed it, check out our series of devotions for the season on Substack.

We published 4 new articles this week: The “Model Minority” Myth in the Asian American Church by Andrew Lee, 5 Lessons from the Japanese American Internment by Tom Sugimura, Good Grief by Linda Kim, and “Church History” for Kids and Adults: A Book Review.

This newsletter is one of the many ways you can keep in touch with us. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more, check out my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group and TGIF Playlist on Spotify. You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram.

Aaron Lee, Editorial Curator

Enter to win these excellent books! Reviews are in the section below. Thanks to The Good Book Company and Robert J. Nash for providing these books for our giveaway, in partnership with my newsletters for @diveindigdeep and FCBC Walnut.

Articles From Around The Web

Heidi Wong: Gods and Gangsters

“Instead of gearing up for the next battle in the culture war, the church must first be willing to abandon the superfluous nature of its mansion in order to be set free from shackles that blind it.”

Samuel Lee: These 3 Japanese Christian Women Changed Their Country

“Meet an early evangelist, an education reformer, and a preacher who held Bible studies with the royal family.”

Daniel Jung: Narco Saints’ Drug-Dealing Pastor

“The Netflix series works as both crime drama and critique of Korean megachurch culture.”

The SOLA College Writing Cohort is our new writing cohort for college-age students to receive mentorship and training as young Christian writers. Editorial Board member Soojin Park will personally be leading this initiative, and she is very excited at the prospect of nurturing the next generation of Asian American thinkers and writers who will help encourage and edify the Church!

Books, Podcasts, Music, And More

TGC Front Row Seat Podcast: Moving to a New Place with Irene Sun

Kristen Wetherell and Kari Olson invite Irene Sun to discuss the challenges and joys of moving to a new place as a pastor’s wife. Irene shares her story of moving from Chicago to Pittsburgh, how prayer was her lifeline through every transition, and the importance of giving thanks to the Lord when we’re in a foreign land.

Gateway Chapel: Hanley Liu

Pastor Hanley reminds us of our deep need for living water that truly satisfies our souls – that all of humanity is in need of this living water. When Jesus was cut off from the living water on the cross, he made a way so that all who trust in him will never thirst again.

Aaron Lee: Related Works

Book Reviews: Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know… (Keepsake Edition) by Melissa B. Kruger, Say the Right Thing by Carolyn Lacey, God’s Not Done with You by John Meador, Words of the Resurrected by Robert J. Nash. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.

Check out the new edition of our SOLA Network Magazine! Download it for free and share it with your friends as a great way to be introduced to the work we do at SOLA Network.

Featured This Week On SOLA Network

Aaron Lee: “Church History” for Kids and Adults: A Book Review

“How did we get from the Great Commission to the modern church today? In Church History, Simonetta Carr presents the important people, places, and events of church history.”

Linda Kim: Good Grief

“When waves of grief wash over me in unexpected ways, I am letting the tears flow. I am inviting them in and allowing myself to sit in the grief because it helps me to know that Jesus sits with me.”

Tom Sugimura: 5 Lessons from the Japanese American Internment

“Although the mass evacuation and incarceration of Japanese Americans were neither right nor wise, the experience nevertheless enriched the church’s spiritual life as nothing else could have. Consider lessons the church today can learn as we minister to fellow believers who similarly face adversity.”

Andrew Lee: The “Model Minority” Myth in the Asian American Church

“Asian Americans continue to live in the liminal space of the margins. This is not to say Asian Americans have not gained that much in both secular and religious life. However, as the ‘model minority,’ we remain on the outside, looking to the majority for guidance and direction in matters of church and faith.”

TGIF: Roundup for March 31, 2023

Judgment for Pastors: How Shepherds Prepare to Meet Jesus / Resisting the Impulse of Self-Optimization / Chinese Christians Adapt Under New Restrictions / On the CROSS Conference / How God’s Daughters Can Create for His Glory

General disclaimer: Our link roundups are not endorsements of the positions or lives of the authors.