MAC Hosting Ceramic Artist

Sheldon Tsu-Yao Wong Contributed photo

MAC News Release

The Molokai Arts Center welcomes Artist in Residence Sheldon Tsu-Yao Wong of Honolulu, Hawaii. As an artist, Sheldon uses clay to explore and dissect ancestral stories, exploring themes of ownership, belonging, and the politics of memory. 

He will be on Molokai from June 5 through 20 working on a project aimed at creating a dialog between the viewer, the material, and the island, exploring how we archive our existence and make our presence known through tactile and visual expressions.

“For my time on Molokai, I intend on working on a series of work that continues to explore the meaning of touch in all aspects: with the Earth, connection to ancestry, and the legacy of our archives. I am using clay and imprinting versions of my fingerprints on small totems. As these totems accumulate, I plan to create site specific installations using the natural landscape of Molokai as the foundation of the work,” Wong said. 

He said he believes his project can translate into a possible workshop that engages the community in the power of creation and storytelling. 

“By incorporating elements of Molokai’s natural and historical landscape, the project can resonate with the island’s traditions of storytelling and community memory,” Wong said. 

Wong will primarily work at the MAC studio to engage the community in a collaborative artistic process, fostering dialogue, and celebrating Molokai’s unique cultural identity. You can connect with Wong through the MAC at molokaiartsexecdr@gmail.com. He will also be at MAC Saturday Market at MCHC and MAC studio throughout his time here.

Wong is a self-taught ceramic artist who earned his BA from George Washington University (2019) and is currently working towards an MFA with an emphasis in Ceramics from The University of Hawai’i at Manoa. 

His work was included in exhibitions in Hawaii and on the Mainland. He is the recent recipient of the H. John Heide Fellowship in Art (2024), John Young Scholarship in the Arts (2024), and the Graduate Merit Achievement Scholarship (2023).

A MAC Talk at Molokai Public Library is scheduled for 5:30pm on Wednesday, June 18. Come meet Sheldon as he shares his work and residency experience. Learn more about our visiting artist at sheldonwong.org 

Molokai Arts Center received a grant from the Laila Twigg-Smith Fund of the Hawai’i Community Foundation for the Artist in Residence Program 2024-25.