Meet Jasper Wong | Artist, Designer, Art Director, Curator, and Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jasper Wong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jasper, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk comes with the territory when you pursue art as a career. Art can be deeply personal and you have to put yourself on display (both figuratively and literally). People will love you or absolutely hate what you do. In today’s world and social media, they will be sure to let you know…sometimes in very colorful language. Putting yourself out there is key, though. It’s the only way to succeed as an artist. It is a risk that must be taken.

On top of that, I also founded and organize a public art festival that operates in over twenty cities around the globe. The financial risk is always difficult to overcome. Raising money for events of this nature is never easy and doing community beautification projects aren’t profit-generating businesses. There are also a myriad of things that could potentially go wrong and I’m often a scapegoat for any existing issues with the community. I’ve even been blamed for public urination. But, the rewards far outweigh the risk. Also pushing yourself to the edge and trying new things keeps life interesting. Life wouldn’t be fun if you didn’t take risks along the way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work is colorful and inspired by the pop culture of my childhood. I dabble in collage, abstraction, and surrealism. I enjoy playing with materials and will use everything from acrylics, spray paint, and anything I can find within my studio.

I am also an art director and have worked with a variety of commerical clients, such as Hulu, Disney, Target, Versace, NBA, Microsoft, and more.

My work can be seen at www.jasperwong.net or @mrjasperwong. My festival is at www.powwowworldwide.com or @powwowworldwide.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First stop would be to see our murals at Kaka’ako. We have hundreds within that community and it’s also populated with great shops and restaurants, such as Pioneer, Redfish, Arvo, Kahala, and others. Hawaii has amazing beaches and hikes, so I’d ensure we’d get our fill of the picturesque nature that the islands have to offer.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, it’s my wife Amy Wong and my 2 daughters – Ella and Stella. They are highly supportive of my odd and crazy art life.

I was also raised by a single mother who had three sons to take care of. I owe my life to her.

Website: www.jasperwong.net

Instagram: @mrjasperwong

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjasperwong

Twitter: @powwowworldwide

Youtube: Powwowworldwide