Warren King's Cardboard Sculptures Explore Chinese Diaspora and Family Migration

Warren King transforms cardboard into three-dimensional sculptures of figures, busts, and relief works that narrate personal and communal histories. His ongoing series examines his family's migration from China to the American Midwest, with specific pieces like 'The Road Leads Home' depicting his grandmother's journey. After her husband, an Air Force pilot, was relocated, she walked through war-torn China with her infant son, never seeing her family again. King's experience growing up in predominantly white Wisconsin informs works such as 'Mask Bearer,' which reflects on performing in Chinese cultural events with mixed emotions of shame and pride. Recent sculptures capture individuals in New York's Chinatown, including 'Mott Street Flute Player,' 'Mulberry Street Fruit Seller,' and 'Canal Street Purse Vendor,' exploring community vibrancy. A new series, currently untitled, draws on memories of raising his two sons, intertwining fatherhood with his art practice. A documentary about King will be released in May as part of PBS's American Masters series 'In the Making.'