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Pearl River Mart Presents

THE MONKEY KING IN CHINATOWN: ILLUSTRATED JOURNEYS OF A CHINESE LEGEND IN NYC

A Free Group Art Exhibition with Art From Bernard Chang, Sean Chen, Cliff Chiang, Soo Lee, Howard Ma, Jerry Ma, Jerome Opeña & Kimberly Wang

On View in Chelsea Market (79 Ninth Ave.) Through May 31

On View at Pearl River Mart  Gallery (452 Broadway) Through August 24

For the Exhibition’s Event Page, click here.

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | A charismatic Chinese folk hero whose tale has been told faithfully and loosely in plays, films, books, operas, and video games gets a few all-new interpretations in The Monkey King in Chinatown–a vivid group exhibition currently on view at two NYC locations.

Graphic designer and illustrator Jerry Ma proves a worthy custodian of the titular icon–and a good judge of character. The Monkey King marks Ma’s debut as a curator. It’s an auspicious one at that, having populated his roster with accomplished AAPI comic book and graphic novel artists. More about that momentarily–but first, a bit of background plucked directly from the exhibition’s advance press:

The epitome of tricksterdom (embodying rebellion, daring, and adventure), the Monkey King (more formally known as Sun Wukong) first appeared in the 14th-century Chinese novel, Journey to the West. After rebelling against heaven, he’s imprisoned under a mountain for hundreds of years, eventually accompanying the monk Tang Sanzang on his quest for the scriptures that will bring Buddhism to China. 

Although Ma has much admiration and nostalgic affection for that traditional interpretation (the one of his youth), he doesn’t impose it upon the exhibition’s assemblage of talent, who revel in the possibilities of placing their simian subject matter in well-known, contemporary Chinatown locations. At Columbus Park, the Canal Street subway station, and Hop Kee restaurant, among others, the King can immerse himself in the tropes (and sometimes tech) of his people.

Ma has been mulling over the possibilities and implications of a modern day Monkey King since 2020, when his debut solo show, A Chinatown Odyssey, was exhibited at Pearl River Mart. “People asked me during the show when I would make a comic based on the Monkey King and I told them I just didn’t have the time,” recalls Ma. But then the lockdown happened, plunging many into long stretches of little contact with others. The sudden shift became a prison for some, and a playground for others. While sheltering in place, says Ma, “I actually had time, so I made a [Monkey King comic] book.” Funding came from a Kickstarter campaign so well-received that Ma was able give the gift of financial assistance to 14 small businesses in Chinatown.

Once the book came out, “I kind of just sat on it for a little while and then, you know, went back to real life when New York opened again. Then a couple years later, the book got picked up by this new publisher for Lab Press,…And sometime early last year, Pearl River Mart asked me if I’d be willing to do a group for [May’s] Asian American Heritage Month, with other comic book artists.” Ma says the chance to draw the Monkey King drew artists in–but the real draw, so to speak, was the chance to affiliate themselves with the exhibition’s presenter. (Many of them, like Ma, have stories to tell about formative years spent soaking up the atmosphere at Pearl River Mart.)

That admiration is a two-way street. “It’s such a joy to have Jerry exhibiting with us again,” says Pearl River Mart President Joanne Kwong, calling the current exhibition a “rock star gathering of comic book artists” and noting it’s Ma’s “ability to bring people together, around art, storytelling, and usually lots of food and drink, that sets him apart as a curator and collaborator.”

Ma did more than just collect participants. He and two others whose work shows up in the exhibition created a list of beloved Chinatown locations. Once assigned, there was little directive moving forward other than delivering the work on time. “I knew that if we gave them these lloose guidelines, they would know what to do. They’re pros, they’re all great. And I felt if I would have given them too much direction, that’s when things would have looked the same.”

The project ultimately became a two-parter, with all of the works on display throughout Chelsea Market, which has a Pearl River Mart on its downstairs level. The other component is on view at Pearl River Mart’s flagship Soho location (alongside other work from the participating artists).

Says Ma of the chance to present The Monkey King in Chelsea Market–where the works are spaced throughout the ground floor, “Everything is just screaming creativity there. It’s very easy to be visible in Chelsea Market [because of the foot traffic], so we created some larger pieces just for the space. And because it is such a diverse crowd there, it’s a great opportunity to introduce the Monkey King to more people.”

And more places, perhaps? Ma says he’s had interest from, and thoughts about, curating exhibitions with contributing talent transporting the Monkey King to site-specific locations in their own city, their own Chinatown. If the project’s journey so far has proven one thing over and over, it’s that this tale has legs…

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(Artist & Venue Bios to Follow)

About Pearl River Mart

Pearl River Mart was founded as a “friendship store” in 1971. The iconic Asian emporium has locations in New York City’s SoHo district and the popular Chelsea Market with both a retail outlet and Pearl River Mart Foods. From home furnishings to fashion to snacks and everything in between, the store features one-of-a-kind items imported from Asia, as well as innovative merchandise designed and created by Asian Americans. A beloved destination for people from all over the globe, Pearl River has become symbolic of the uniqueness, authenticity, and multiculturalism of New York City. Visit www.PearlRiver.com and follow on Instagram.

About the Pearl River Mart Gallery

The Pearl River Mart gallery features curated exhibitions with local artists from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. Previous artists include: sculptor Warren King; New Yorker magazine cartoonists Amy Hwang, Jeremy Nguyen, Suerynn Lee, Evan Hahn, and more; photographers Louis Chan, Edward Cheng, Ben Hon, Hiroyuki Ito, and Corky Lee; painters Julia Chon, Arlan Huang, Kam Mak; illustrators Sammy Yuen, Nancy Pappas, Yumi Sakugawa, and Felicia Liang; and multimedia artists Wiena Lin, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, Ben Sloat, and Xin Song.

Recent exhibitions include “We Are Chinatown: A Portrait of Our Community Rising Through Labor and Love” by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya; “Tiny Grains: Chinatown Forever Changed, Forever Changing” by Edward Cheng; “Not Your China Doll: A Retrospective of Anna May Wong’s Trailblazing Career” curated by Katie Gee Salisbury; “Reunion: Food as Culture, Community, and Coming Home” curated by Christine Wong; “Spirit Dreams: Where Ancestors Come to Speak” by Julia Chon; “Just Between Us: From the Archives of Arlan Huang” curated by Danielle Wu and Howie Chen; and “Our Roots Run Deep: Finding Home in Chinatown” by Warren King.

About the Artists

Bernard Chang — An Asian American comic book artist and designer, Bernard is best known for work in the comic book and entertainment industries. He’s the artist and co-creator, with Gene Luen Yang, of Monkey Prince (DC Comics), introducing the legendary Monkey King and the Journey to the West mythology, and a former Walt Disney Imagineer, designing rides and attractions.

Breaking into the comic book industry at 20, he was voted into the Wizard Guide to Comics top 10 artist list and nominated for the Russ Manning Award Most Promising Newcomer in his rookie year. He has drawn books such as Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Superman, Green Lantern Corps, Batman Beyond, Teen Titans, Jean Grey, Power Man Timeless , andX-Men.

He received his BA in architecture on a full scholarship from Pratt Institute, and was the captain of the men’s basketball team. Before Bernard’s art career took off, former Miami Heat assistant coach, Tony Fiorentino, projected Bernard as a late third-round pick in the 1995 NBA draft.

 Sean Chen — Sean has been a major part of the comic book industry for over three decades. Starting with Valiant Comics, his debut book, Rai And the Future Force , topped the charts with over 800,000 copies sold. He then found a new home at Marvel where he started what would become the longest and most remembered run of his career working onIron Man. For the next decade, he was the artist on a number of titles, including Wolverine, X-Men, Spiderman, Nova , and the Avengers . For DC Comics, he has drawn Superman, The Teen Titans , and Batman Beyond . Currently, Sean is writing and drawing his creator-owned title Evermind for 247 Comics. 

Cliff Chiang — Cliff’s artwork has been hailed for its “fluid and confident storytelling” and “sweeping linework and nuanced style.” Graduating from Harvard University with a joint degree in English Literature and Visual Arts, he worked in editorial at Disney Adventures Magazine and Vertigo/DC Comics before making the leap into freelance illustration. Best known as the artist of the New York Times best-selling Wonder Woman (with writer Brian Azzarello) and Eisner Award-winning Paper Girls (with writer Brian K. Vaughan), his most recent work is the acclaimed Catwoman: Lonely City , which he both wrote and drew. 

Soo Lee — A freelance comic artist and illustrator living in NYC, Soo is the illustrator and co-creator of the Bram Stoker Award-winning graphic novel Carmilla: The First Vampire ; the creator of the graphic novels, Disney Villains: Maleficent and the upcoming Wizard of Oz ; and the writer of Thundercats: Cheetara . She has also been published by various companies such as Dark Horse, BOOM, DC Comics, Dynamite, Skybound, and Ahoy.

Howard Ma — Howard is a Taiwanese graphic artist with his own interior design company, Yunyi Design. He has designed numerous restaurants and condos, and has now begun work on hotels. He graduated from Soochow University and competes internationally in dart competitions. 

Jerry Ma (curator) — Jerry is a graphic designer and illustrator. His first solo show, “A Chinatown Odyssey,” was held at Pearl River Mart in January 2020. That show lead to a new version of the Monkey King with a Kickstarter campaign that gave money back to 14 small businesses in Chinatown, New York. Now Jerry has teamed up with writer Jeff Yang to create the follow-up graphic novel of the Monkey King’s adventures in Chinatown, New York, which will be published by The Lab Press. His past works include Conan the Barbarian , the New York Mets, NBA China, VIBE Hong Kong, The Jeremy Lin Foundation, and the first Asian American superhero anthology, Secret Identities.

Jerome Opeña — Jerome is a Filipino comic book artist best known for his numerous collaborations with writer Rick Remender. Working full-time in the comic industry since 2005, his books include Vengeance of the Moon Knight, The Avengers, X-Force, Spawn, The Infinity limited series, and his creator-owned series with Rick Remender, Seven to Eternity.

Kimberly Wang — Kimberly is a queer illustrator and cartoonist who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and is currently based in New York. Outside of working in the animation industry, they draw fantasy and speculative fiction comics with a surreal edge. They are the creator of the sci-fi corporate magical girls graphic novel, Of Thunder and Lightning , published by Silver Sprocket.

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