LAURA MING WONG
SERIES
Juicy
The Oakland Tribute
En La Luchita
How Beautiful Yesterday Was
Roosters and Men
Boxing
About
About
Laura began as a photographer taking production stills and assisting on television shows, later expanding to wedding and commercial clients. From 2012 to 2016 she covered local stories at The Oakland Post, the largest African-American weekly newspaper in Northern California, gaining access to many corners of the San Francisco Bay Area.
With an assignment and a press pass, she ventured across police lines at political protests, into the homes of well-heeled entrepreneurs, ringside at sold-out arenas of future boxing Hall of Famers, and the spaces in-between. Several solo trips through Latin America and North Africa pushed her further to find connection and ease in environments far different from her midwestern Asian American roots.
Through professional experience and personal projects, Laura has developed an ability to move through diverse communities and produce images that convey the emotions of a moment. She is based in Oakland, California and lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.
Email: que@lauramwong.com
Instagram: @lamingwong
Exhibits
2024
Oakland Photo Workshop, Oakland, CA (Group)
Momentum (Members Exhibition), curated by Malcolm Wallace
Arc Gallery & Studios, San Francisco, CA (Group)
Return, APAture Festival Visual Arts Showcase, curated by Tanza Solis and Ngân Vũ
Joyce Gordon Gallery, Oakland, CA (Group)
Seize The Gaze, curated by Susan Almazol with Eric Murphy
2023
Oakland Photo Workshop Gallery, Oakland, CA (Group)
The Stories We Tell, curated by Jessica Chen
2017
SoMArts Gallery, San Francisco, CA (Group)
Shifting Movements: Art Inspired by Yuri Kochiyama, curated by Michelle A. Lee
2016
The Wall at 1920C, San Francisco, CA (Group)
TOUGH
The Sequoias Rotunda, San Francisco, CA (Group)
Aesthetic Blitz, curated by Kelsay Myers
2015
SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA
A Place of Her Own, curated by Cynthia Tom
William High Gallery at Laney College Photography Department, Oakland, CA (Solo)
En La Luchita: Scenes From a Cuban Boxing Gym, curated by Black Moon
The Compound Gallery, Oakland, CA (Group)
Knockout: Boxing Art, curated by Lena Verderano Reynoso
2013
SoMArts Gallery, San Francisco, CA (Group)
underCurrents and the Quest for Space, curated by Linda Inson Choy
Panels and Presentations
2024
Artist Panel, APAture Festival Visual Arts, Arc Gallery & Studios, San Francisco, CA
Artist Panel, Seize the Gaze, Joyce Gordon Gallery, Oakland, CA
2023
Artist Panel, The Stories We Tell, Oakland Photo Workshop Gallery, Oakland, CA
2017
Guest Speaker, First Exposures, San Francisco, CA
2016
Guest Speaker, Photojournalism, Laney College, Oakland, CA
2015
Artist Panel, A Place of Her Own, SoMArts Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Guest Speaker, Photojournalism, Laney College, Oakland, CA
2014
Panelist, A Day in the Life of Asian America, Chinese Historical Society, San Francisco, CA
Awards and Grants
2024 CatchLight Scholarship, NDA Workshop
2016
International Photography Awards, 2nd Place in Pro Category: Sports - Other
2015
Artist Residency, A Place of Her Own