Rosie (2025) 40”x40” folded paper on wood panel in acrylic case. A dense field of hand-folded origami lotus flowers anchors this work, encircled by flowing streams of cranes that move with quiet rhythm and grace. Seen up close, it's a mesmerizing study in texture and repetition; step back, and a portrait gradually emerges—a young blonde woman whose presence evokes comparisons to Marilyn Monroe. But this is not nostalgia. This is Rosé, the vocalist from the K-pop phenomenon BLACKPINK. Each year, I create only one or two portraits, often choosing to depict Asian pop icons navigating the Western cultural landscape. Previous works include Bruce Lee, Simu Liu, and a commissioned portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. My goal remains consistent: to build works with layered meaning, visual complexity, and a meditation on identity, time, and transformation. The vibrant Chiyogami paper is hand silk-screened in Japan, and is PH neutralized by myself sheet by sheet. I use pH neutral glue and adhere to artist grade wood panels painted with a durable, acrylic paint . The acrylic case is custom-made to my specification, and installed myself. The piece comes ready to hang with either French cleat or D-rings. This piece is part of my migration series of origami assemblage. My artist statement: Andrew unearths great journeys through origami assemblage, influenced by his experience as a second generation Canadian. “We are keenly aware of our ‘otherness’, wondering if we truly belong. I fold hundreds of origami birds to honour hardships and sacrifices made by my parents’ generation. As I lay each bird in its place, I realize that the journey continues – I am still finding my way, to be accepted, by others, by myself.” The process is a cathartic, meditative practice. Always striving for perfection, taking joy in the completion of each small task, the culmination of thousands of motions to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

Andrew Wang

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Andrew left an engineering and business career in 2017 to care for his school age children and pursue his lifelong dream of becoming an artist. He is strongly influenced by the Renaissance period where artists were engineers and vice versa. As he was an engineer for a materials company for over a decade, Andrew takes great care in the choice of materials he uses, considering both technical and symbolic factors. While Andrew’s artistic practice is mainly in Origami, he enjoys the process of creation every single day with each medium before him.