Carry-On by Justin Wong
- Chinese Culture Center
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Carry-On by Justin Wong
Date and Time:
February 14 - June 29, 2026
Thur - Mon, 11 am - 6 pm
Location:
Free | 免費入場
London-based comics artist and scholar Justin Wong bridges political satire, visual storytelling, and cultural research in his first U.S. exhibition, "Carry-On" by Justin Wong. The exhibition brings a message of hope and humor during a tumultuous year of change, with street-level intervention and new artworks. Join us to open the exhibition on February 14th and 15th during the 2026 Art Zone at Chinatown Flower Market Fair. Additional artist events will be announced.
Wong began his career in 2007 as a political cartoonist and illustrator, gaining wide recognition for his long-running daily column Gei Gei Gaak Gaak in the Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao. In 2021, after being reported following the implementation of the National Security Law on July 1, 2020, Wong left Hong Kong abruptly and relocated to London. Alongside his editorial work, Wong has published a number of comics series in Hong Kong, Taiwan and France, including Lonely Planet, Hello World, New Hong Kong, Big Time, Je préfèrerais ne pas, and This City / That City, a series that ultimately became a farewell to the city he once called home.
Wong will show a new body of work created over the past three years since leaving Hong Kong. The works reflect both personal and political vantage points, shaped by displacement and distance. The presentation, including ten new digital illustrations, six outdoor works, and three new handmade books, offers an intimate look at how the artist has been processing exile, memory, and everyday resistance through humor and quiet observation.
“Carry-On” is a lighthearted introduction to a visiting artist, a soft landing, and a reminder to carry on. It reflects the emotional jet lag of freedom that many diasporic artists continue to navigate
Wong is a Spring 2026 Visiting Professor in the Folklore Program at UC Berkeley, where he is offering a graduate course entitled “Laughter as Resistance: Humour, Art, and the Everyday Politics of Hong Kong.” Carry-On by Justin Wong is on view free to the public at Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco at 667 Grant Ave., February 14-September 30, 2026 every Thursday - Monday, 11am - 6pm. This will be the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco’s inaugural exhibition in its new gallery at 667 Grant Ave.
Artist's Statement by Justin Wong
Over the past few years, many people from Hong Kong have undergone unprecedented change. Political shifts have dispersed us across different parts of the world, uprooting us from lives once defined by stability and familiarity. We move from the known into the unknown, where everything must be rebuilt from the beginning in unfamiliar environments.
Just as life appears to gradually settle again, a deeper unease begins to surface. Some wounds remain unhealed; some fears have yet to be crossed. Beneath the appearance of moving forward, inner struggles persist quietly.
Carry-On attempts to capture these internal tensions. Through abstract imagery, the exhibition seeks to trace the hidden voices within us—those shaped by displacement, memory, and uncertainty—and to offer a footnote to personal histories that continue to unfold.
Acknowledgements
Exhibition Support:
California Department of Social Services – Stop the Hate
San Francisco Grants for the Arts
San Francisco Arts Commission
Walter and Elise Haas Fund
Asian Pacific Fund
Fleishhacker Foundation
Zellerbach Family Foundation
CCC Contemporaries
Artist support for Justin Wong is provided by the UC Berkeley Folklore Program.
About the Chinese Culture Center
For 60 years, the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco (CCC) has uplifted Chinatown through the arts as both a vibrant neighborhood and a powerful metaphor for the immigrant experience. Founded in 1965 amid the civil rights movement, CCC emerged as a bold response to racism, displacement, and gentrification. From a hard-won cultural space, it has evolved into a dynamic hub that shifts narratives, supports innovative art, and advances social justice.
CCC amplifies marginalized voices, reclaims public space, and strengthens community through exhibitions, festivals, and educational programs. Signature initiatives include C.H.A.T. Chinatown History Art Tours, the XianRui Artist Series, and the 41 Ross Artist-in-Residence program. With locations on Kearny Street, Ross Alley, and the newly acquired 667 Grant Ave, CCC continues to champion immigrant and LGBTQIA2S+ rights. Recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and other major foundations, CCC celebrates its 60th anniversary with Chinatown Pride, the Hungry Ghost Festival, and its Gala.
