Stewart Wong in the Artist Studio

About the Artist

Stewart Wong is from Oahu, Hawaii. He is Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Chinese, and Russian ancestry. His mixed media craft and artistry spans from two-dimensional printworks to three-dimensional constructs and sculpture, including large scale public art. The work reflects his knowledge and experience melding craft, artistic applications and techniques in differing concepts and methods with low and high technology.

Relocating to the Pacific Northwest from Hawaii in the 1980s imposed an environmental and cultural shift which has been continually transformational. This transition influences and informs his work and propels him to produce works that acknowledge, commemorate, and embrace his Kanaka Maoli identity, heritage and experiences. In partnership with and support from the Burke Museum, the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, and 4 Culture, the artist is taking a new direction creating mixed-media constructs.

The artwork will include patterned Kapa and other materials and applications to represent his Kanaka Maoli heritage and Mo’olelo (narrative) of personal experiences. His public art installations feature and commemorate marginalized people, their adversity, resilience, contributions, and legacy. Since the onset of COVID, its effects on the AAPI and BIPOC communities has influenced him to be more visible and proactive in his work and reconnect with the Pacific Islander Communities.