Artist of the Year: Jonathan WuWong

By EVITA THADANI '20

Jonathan Wuwong (I) has loved drawing since he took a figure drawing class at the MFA in 7th grade. In middle school, he also took art classes which sparked his current passion for glass blowing. This year, he received three scholastic awards for his glass blowing; for “Nymphaeaceae” he received a Gold Key, for “Cornucopia” a Silver Key, and for “Stratus” an Honorable Mention. On top of glass blowing, Wuwong has also become a talented dancer. He began dancing his Freshman year, and he aided in the choreographing of a major dance in this year’s winter dance concert. For these reasons, The Milton Paper has selected Jonathan as our male artist of the year.

Q: When did you start drawing? Dancing?  

A: I’ve had art class since I was in Kindergarten at Milton Academy but it didn’t become something I was interested in until the 7th grade I think when I took a figure drawing class at the MFA. It was a pretty straight forward class where we went around drawing the different statues at the MFA, but something seemed to click in my brain; as if I was seeing everything for the first time, I abruptly could better understand what I was seeing in a different way. Looking back this was a little weird, since I used to have trouble drawing 3 dimensional cubes in math, but I think that it must have been just my brain maturing as I grew up. From there I started to focus more intently on drawing and art in general. I also took my first glassblowing class when I was in the middle school, and that is one of my interests that I have kept with me through the high school.

In terms of dancing, the first time that I started to dance for real was during the Freshman year in the Spring dance concert; if anyone is wondering about dancing I highly recommend trying out for it with some friends. I had always been interested in dancing and thought it was a cool skill, but during that spring season I really took to it. It was sort of relaxing but also exciting following someone else's movements; it also got me active since I have never really enjoyed sports.

Q: How have you grown in your art and dancing?

A: I would like to hope that I got better at both things. But overall I think I just feel more confident in both disciplines, and that just comes from practice. I have learned a lot more techniques and ways to experiment in visual art than I did during that first MFA art class. As I mentioned before, glassblowing is something that I get very excited about and love doing; probably due in some part to the lack of people my age that do it, I feel glassblowing is interesting because its unique and takes a lot of practice and technique. In terms of dancing, I also think that I have become more confident in that area. I helped choreograph a dance this year for winter dance concert, and even though I did not do a lot, even the thought of my helping just a little would have been outlandish to Freshman Jonathan.

Q: Do you try to incorporate anything in particular in your art?

A: Because in dancing you are following someone else’s choreography and motions, I do not think I put a lot of my personal ideas into it. I do, however, try to bring determination into the practices so I can help the choreographer as best as I can.

Art for me is the more personal discipline due to the fact that for the most part it all comes from you. Because of that fact, I definitely put a lot more of my personal feelings or experiences into what I make. This is a little tangentially related, but I was at the Asian American Footsteps Conference and I remember Franny Choi, the keynote speaker, saying something very interesting. She is pretty “political” in her poetry and someone asked her why she doesn’t write about non-political things. She answered that because there are problems in the world we have a responsibility as artists to in someway address these issues; it’s only after those problems are solved we can start to write about nature or flower or etc. This idea resounded a lot with me; I think that while I may not address exterior problems often, but I do use art as a way to breach personal issues or feelings that I have instead of just making something pretty.

Q: What does drawing and dancing mean to you? Why do you do it?

A: They both are forms of expression to my that I really enjoy. Whether it be actually doing it or just appreciating the work that other make, I think drawing and dancing will always inhibit some alcove of my life. I do both of them because I enjoy them. They are things that make me happy, and at this point in my life, that is the type things that I am looking for and willing to pursue.