On a Thursday night in San Francisco, there are lots of interesting places to be. Though this past July, the only place anyone seemed to want to be was at Jessica Silverman for the opening of Chelsea Ryoko Wong’s new solo exhibition Nostalgia for the Present Tense. Wong is a highlight in the Bay Area art scene, known for her vivacious and colorful works that spotlight the community of people around her–both those she loves and those she admires from afar. It’s no wonder that in addition to this exhibition, the Asian Art Museum commissioned Wong for a mural to be featured on their Lawrence and Gorretti Lui Hyde Street Art Wall, (which I’m told will depict a bustling scene of diners at a Chinese restaurant, aptly entitled Community Feast.)
I have always been enamored with the theme of friendship within Wong’s work, and I’ve been lucky to be able to explore this with her outside of the canvas too. Spending time with Wong is truly a reflection of her paintings–a night at the bar drinking martinis, a day at the river sunbathing across rocks, an evening spent laughing over plates of dim sum. I think most people are taken by the diversity present with Wong’s work both in the ages and skin tones present in her subjects. I’m here to tell you that Wong’s community of family and friends is truly a kaleidoscope of people, who all bring something unique to any adventure they partake with the artist.
In her new exhibition on view through September 7, Wong extends her search for community outside of California, spotlighting scenes from her recent travels in Europe, East Asia, and North Africa. It reminds me of those moments on vacation when you want to pinch yourself because it all feels like a dream. When all you desire is finally in your grasp, and you’re haunted a bit by the feeling that you know it won’t last forever. Nostalgia for the Present Tense is an ode to the moments that make life worth living, and confirmations that these moments aren’t just manifestations, but self-fulfilling prophecies…if we want them to be.
Juxtapoz spoke with Wong about the power of community, inspiration amongst strangers, and the Bay Area’s support and impact on her oeuvre.
Shaquille Heath: I’ve always wondered how much of your community makes it into your artwork, versus people watching?
Chelsea Ryoko Wong: The idea of community is present throughout my work. My subject matter is inspired by lived experiences and I enjoy nothing more than having fun with family and friends. That being said, not every figure is an actual person in my work, in fact most are not. Sometimes I paint figures that represent a certain person or remind me of someone, but I like to keep it open so that viewers can bring their own interpretations to the composition. I think there is an appeal to likeness and personal history, but it feels more liberating to paint with imagination. There is something beautiful about capturing a scene of strangers, and I think the idea of crossing paths encourages us to live presently and be more attuned to the world around us.
Much of this new work is pulled from your recent travels–how do you go about taking a scene that you’ve experienced to putting it on the canvas?
Artists by nature are great observers, and for me traveling is an opportunity to experience and see the world with new eyes. Food, sounds, architecture, attitudes, and even the color of an environment change as we move from place to place. I like to say San Francisco is a warm, vibrant and saturated city, but that might just be the neighborhood where I live in which is the Mission. If I drive across town to let's say the Avenues or Ocean Beach, I notice the differences, the colors change, the smells, the mood. How we process our surroundings and my curiosity about the world is what keeps me inspired. And in addition to this experience, I take lots of photos. So, where memories fail, technology is there.
In terms of an actual composition, I might begin with an idea in mind of something that stood out to me in terms of locating a place. I always begin with the background, then the figures, then fill in the in between. I studied printmaking so I am trained to think like a printmaker. When thinking of place, usually color comes to mind so I start from there and build on it. If I can pull in enough details from photos and memory for a place to look true to my experience, great. But if not, I'll pivot and let the painting take me in the direction it wants to go.
With many of these works being pulled from your recent travels, how does community change for you when it's amongst strangers?
Community is a delight to experience and observe as a stranger. It is profound to see how people connect through surroundings, like-mindedness and ideas. I love places where there is a palpable sense of what binds people together in identity, it is a beautiful thing to witness and see. And despite being an outsider, sometimes this otherness creates secondary communities, I've made a lot of friends through travel. I might start out the day feeling lonely and round out the night by having dinner with four complete strangers, sharing stories over a great meal. I think despite where we are in the world, there is shared connection that can always be found.
Nature is a key theme scene across your work. What does your relationship with nature look like and what’s your process for pulling that within your art practice?
I grew up in Seattle surrounded by nature and like many young folks, took it for granted. Now, living in San Francisco and Northern California, I am in awe of nature and our presence in it. I love the mountains and how they remind me of how small and young we are. Or rivers and water and how their alluring qualities never reveal how powerful they are. A sunset reminds me that there is nothing more beautiful in the world than nature. I am very lucky to live in proximity to such splendid nature, and am reminded that it was here before us and will be here long after us. Something as mundane as rock can be over 4 billion years old. The things it's seen! 
How do you balance the time between locking yourself in the studio and getting outside for inspiration?
I work hard and play hard. I love spending time with friends and being social, but usually by Monday it's like breathing fresh air to go to the studio and be by myself. I enjoy solitude, my practice, working towards goals, staying motivated and being busy. If I'm under deadline, I work until it's done. Luckily, I am surrounded by loving and supportive people who understand and encourage me to work towards my goals. As one moves towards their achievements, it becomes apparent who and what to invest your energy and time into. And at the end of any big push, I make time to spend with my loved ones doing something fun. That love and support is what makes life feel so sweet.
Is there a scene you just love painting? Are there scenes that feel valuable but are annoying to execute?
I could paint a million sunsets, beaches and river scenes. But it can feel challenging to recreate an experience that feels too distant or in the past. For example, if I go to the river, I want to paint a river. If I'm skiing, I want to paint a ski painting. But painting a beach painting in the middle of winter can sometimes feel foreign. Unless I'm in the mood to day dream. However, it just feels easier and always more successful to paint from a fresh memory.
You have so many exciting things coming up in San Francisco! A mural at the Asian Art Museum. And you are featured in the de Young’s upcoming exhibition, About Place: Bay Area Artists from the Svane Gift. What does it mean to you working with Bay Area institutions?
To feel supported by Bay Area institutions fulfills my dreams and is truly an honor. I am constantly in awe of and inspired by the arts network here, the curators, gallerists, art handlers, artists, collectors, writers, and hard working teams I've been lucky enough to work with inspire me to contribute to the potent art landscape we live in. Everyday I feel lucky to be living my dream and feeling a sense of recognition and achievement from this community is what keeps me going.
PS–I am also doing a year-long residency called the Harker Residency with the Oakland Museum of California which will be my first solo institutional show, expected to open in February 2025!
Nostalgia for the Present Tense is on view at Jessica Silverman through September 7. Her mural Community Feast will be on view at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco starting August 23.
