JULY 7, 2022. GRACE EBERT
Detail of “Xuanzang.” Photo by Jón Prospero. All images © Warren King

Artist Warren King (previously) finds much of his inspiration by wandering through Chinatown in New York City, where he encounters “street musicians, chess players in Columbus Park, vegetable sellers, knockoff handbag vendors on Canal Street, lion dancers during Chinese New Year celebrations,” he tells Colossal. “I’ve been fascinated during my weekly grocery shopping trips by the vibrant, diverse community there, which is so different from the relatively homogenous suburbs where I grew up.”

“Lion Dancer” (2020). Photo by Jón Prospero

These passersby become the initial inspiration for the artist’s figurative cardboard sculptures, which consider his Chinese heritage, his parent’s immigration, and what it means to hold a diasporic identity. Ribbed with subtle corrugation and coated in dark neutral tones, the works vary in scale, although many are life-sized and large enough to occupy public benches and galleries. Each piece is an homage both to those he observes and to the richness of the Chinese community. […]

“Chess Players” (2020). Photo by Jón Prospero

More: The Cardboard Sculptures of Artist Warren King Are an Homage to His Chinese Heritage