For award-winning artist and curator Paul Wong, Pride is expressed in the art that he creates and the person that he is.Ā
Paul Wongās work has been showcased in various galleries such as the National Gallery of Canada, the Vancouver Art Gallery,Ā and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Born in British Columbia, Wong is considered to be a pioneer of visual and media art in Canada.
Paul Wong is curating Pride in Chinatown as part of Alternative Pride Vancouver 2019. This event is especially significant because it’s taking place in Chinatown, where Pride was never really celebrated “out, loud, and proud,” said Wong.Ā
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āI think the Chinese community in Canada, for a hundred years, legalized discrimination and were not treated as equals. And I think that generated a code of silence within the community, never to revolt against the mainstream,ā Wong says. āWhen you’ve been a discriminated community and never felt welcome or safe, you don’t want to be noticed and you don’t want to be different.ā
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As a queer Chinese Canadian, Wong highlights the importance of intersectionality. He talked with us about the history of LGBTQ+ rights in Canada and the continued need for the acceptance and celebration of all identities.
āEveryone deserves to be happy and to be loved. And that’s kind of universal,ā says Wong. āSo for me, I want to see people happy. I want people to be comfortable in their own skin and in each other’s skins.ā
Pride in Chinatown 2019: Curated by Paul Wong
When: August 1, 2019
Time: 7 pm to 11 pmĀ
Where: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden – 578 Carrall Street, Vancouver
Tickets: Available online
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