About Martin Wong
Martin Wong (Chinese: 黃馬鼎; July 11, 1946 – August 12, 1999) was an American artist and poet. Born to Chinese American parents in Oregon, Wong was raised in San Francisco by his mother and stepfather before studying art at university and becoming an active participant in the hippie counterculture in northern California. He began his career as a ceramist and eventually expanded his work to include poetry, sculpture, and, principally, painting. After living and working in California for nearly a decade following university, Wong moved to New York in 1978 and became well-known for his paintings depicting Manhattan's East Village and Lower East Side neighborhoods. His work has been described as a meticulous blend of social realism and visionary art styles. Wong's paintings often explored multiple ethnic and racial identities, exhibited cross-cultural elements, demonstrated multilingualism, and celebrated his queer sexuality. He exhibited for two decades at notable New York galleries including EXIT ART, Semaphore, and P.P.O.W., among others, before his death in San Francisco from an AIDS-related illness. P.P.O.W. continues to represent his estate. Martin Wong (Chinese: 黃馬鼎; July 11, 1946 – August 12, 1999) was a Chinese-American painter of the late 20th century. After Anthony's death, Wong was placed in foster care until his mother was able to find new employment as a draftsperson with Bechtel.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.