We recently connected with Miggie Wong and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Miggie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of my most recent projects, Houses of Migratory, an interactive collaboration with the local Buffalo community, is my most current meaningful project to date. This project involved freehand drawings illustrating my take on various local landmark homes/buildings. The four reimagined drawings were displayed over the course of one month. Visitors were encouraged to take part in contributing to the colorization process of the drawings. Seeing the participants’ contributions and interacting with them, I learned of personal stories of the residents and the history of the city of Buffalo. By imprinting colors and even additions to the drawings, participants found relation to their own past experiences as it inspired them to share with me historical anecdotes of the city, making mention of other local artists and their respective works, and by offering their personal experiences of living in this city.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I create situation-based performative projects which offer whimsical experiments that explore and document ideas of social interaction, cultural mutation, senses of belonging, and acts of sincerity.

My most recent exhibition in Buffalo, New York, Houses of Migratory, which was curated by Resource:Art, is an extension project of my pandemic visual diary, 100 Huis on Delaware Ave, and my on going series, Sewing on Houses. Visitors were invited to participate by coloring the houses while I conclude this community’s contributions by hand-stitching the houses.

100 Huis on Delaware Ave project publishes a collection of mementos and forward momentum during Covid-19. As a new arrival to Western New York just prior to the Pandemic, Buffalo’s historical Delaware Avenue became an essential back drop for my daily walks and the initial inspiration for this drawing project. The process of drawing the 100 reimagined houses shaped my new adapted daily structure with labor and discipline. It also urged me to review history and culture while recording and creating my own for today. This project served as a psychological response to cope with the global, uncontrollable intensity by creating a personal, controllable intensity.

The Sewing on Houses is a series of works which I started in the mid 2000s after I migrated to Los Angeles and graduated from CalArts. The series reflects the complexity of today’s cultural mutations and human relations. Drawings of the houses/buildings are often referenced/sourced by my migration to various geographical locations, cultures, social dynamics, and relationships. Sewing on the houses is a metaphorical act to preserve and restore human’s sincerities.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Living in several countries as an non native speaker, art helps me to communicate and get to know people beyond the barriers of a spoken language. When people from different backgrounds learn and participate in my art, I witness and feel their willingness to connect, their reactions and reflections are mostly sincere and true to self. That makes my work and my life most rewarding.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Earlier this year, I finished my graduate studies in Creative Studies at Buffalo State University.
Part of my research focused on finding proof that Creativity is not a special gift only present within a genius but a survival skill in everyone. In my research, I found applying creativity in our daily life is not limited to artistic practice like drawing and painting, but is also about maintaining an open mindset and applying different methods to our daily problem solving process. Further, creativity allows us to improve our well-being and each other’s lives. I hope that my artistic projects can advocate a positive implementation for our well-being.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.miggiewong.com
• Instagram: @mwhouses