Based out of Richmond, VA, Wingchow originally started by slapping around some paint and seeing what gooey creatures would come from it. Since then, her approach has become more intentional as her murals and canvases have taken on a whole new life of their own with more layers and meaning tucked away amidst the vibrant colors, fun designs and oddly satisfying bubbly shapes. It's hard not to get caught up in the beauty of her work: the details, the colors, the scale. We sat down with the artist and muralist to talk collaborations, straight lines and the last time she googled herself.
Rapid Fire
Nickname(s): Wing, Chow- Idk if they really count as nicknames since they’re both actually my names, just not my first one
Burrito or Sushi: Sushi all day!
Casts or Dogs: Never casts ;), always dogs
Song that best describes you: Good Life- Zhu, I think it describes all of us 🙂
Strangest thing in your fridge right now: Someone gave me a boujee hard seltzer with the flavor name “Faerie Fizz”, but nothing really that weird in my fridge right now lol
Best piece of advice you've heard: Trust in the unknown, and stay grateful
Motto to live by: Thank you
Last time you googled yourself: Forever ago lol
How would you describe your style?
Colorful, fun, bubbly, weird, changing.
How has your style developed/evolved since you started painting?
I’ve definitely become a lot more intentional with my work. Before, I would slap around some paint, see what kind of gooey creature it looked like, and go with that. Now, I’m more conscious of what the pieces are actually saying. Some pieces just are what they are, but there’s more meaning in my work overall.
Where do you begin one of your paintings and how do you get to the end?
I don’t really have a specific formula for painting. Sometimes I’ll have an idea of what I want to create and I’ll do exactly that, and sometimes the painting changes direction midway. Or maybe I have an idea of the colors I want to play with, and the idea follows. Finishing a piece can take me anytime between a few days, weeks, months, even years.
What's the most challenging project you've ever worked on?/Why?
Collaborations can definitely be challenging. If both parties don’t bring the same energy to the project, vibes can get weird/uncomfortable. When you’re working on your own, you know what kind of energy you’re bringing. When you work with others, you gotta be prepared for whatever they’re bringing.
Do the creatures/characters in your art have names?/Do they ever recur in your art?
Sort of, but not really at this point. I’m playing around with some ideas tho, so we’ll see.
Do you prefer painting on canvas or on a wall?
I like both for different reasons. Painting walls is really freeing. Your motions are big. Your whole body moves around the piece, and it’s always so satisfying to step back and see a massive painting you’ve created. But studio work is important too. It allows you to experiment and flesh out ideas before taking them to a larger scale.
Will you ever use straight lines?
Haha I’ve definitely thrown in some lines here and there .
Shameless Plug:
I currently have a show at Vertical Project Space in Chicago that will be up till Sept 19. And I’ll have works at SU Art Galleries in Maryland from Aug 31-Nov 6.
@wing.chow
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