HyperAllergic
by Lakshmi Rivera Amin
May 22, 2025
Holly Wong, San Francisco, California
How long have you been working in this space?
Twenty-four years.
Describe an average day in your studio.
My average day in the studio begins at 4am. I get up early before breakfast to get an hour of work in. After exercise, I work an additional three hours, break for lunch, and then work an additional two to three hours in the afternoon. My routine is to try to focus on chunks of time in the studio, with time on emails and admin in the evening, so that I limit task shifting in the studio. I try to dedicate my best focus time (which is the morning hours) to art making. I move back and forth between my collaged paintings, works on paper, and fiber installations. The fluidness across materials is important to me. I do listen to art-related podcasts in the studio as well as music, but it depends on what I am working on. If I am in the final phases of completing a project, then I don’t listen to anything at all.
How does the space affect your work?
My studio is a spare bedroom in my house. Because the space is not very large, I make my work modular where possible and, in many instances, I won’t truly know how the final piece will work until it is installed in the exhibition space. There is a surprise element in this way, but it has always worked out for me. If I need more space than my studio allows, I go out into the yard or the garage, especially if I am using aerosol sprays or chemicals.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
My primary interaction with the local arts community is with ArtSpan Open Studios. During the pandemic, they had a virtual Open Studio option so I hosted quite a few virtual studio visits that way and still do so, though in a less structured way. Like many artists, I see my studio as a great way to host visitors and when I have someone over to see the work, I always make them lunch because I love to cook and feed people too!
What do you love about your studio?
I have a westward-facing window and I see all the sunsets. A golden kind of light comes through the window frequently in the afternoons that often informs my fiber installations. In addition, we are only about 11 blocks from the Pacific Ocean, so I can hear the fog horns. I love the feeling of being this close to the water, and aquatic elements often enter my work as a result.
What do you wish were different?
I wish I had more storage for my collage paintings and works on paper. In many instances, I have to get off-site storage so I am not buried by all the work. With the fiber work, I can roll it up and store it in the rafters in my garage so I am lucky in that way.
What do you wish were different?
I wish I had more storage for my collage paintings and works on paper. In many instances, I have to get off-site storage so I am not buried by all the work. With the fiber work, I can roll it up and store it in the rafters in my garage so I am lucky in that way.
What is your favorite local museum?
SFMOMA is my favorite local museum. They have a wonderful permanent collection and in recent years have increasingly started to show and collect more local Bay Area artists. Their SECA award exhibit is a great way to see important talent in our region.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
I love working with dichroic film and silk organza. The light reflective quality of these materials is so inspiring to use in my fiber installations.