Full Circle: A Solo Exhibition by Holly Wong
473 25th St. Oakland
September 5- October 11, 2025
In Greek mythology, a spring called Lethe sits at the entrance of the underworld. The newly dead who drank from its waters were said to lose all memory of their past existence. Wiser souls might seek instead the river of memory, Mnemosyne. Full Circle, Holly Wong’s solo exhibition on view now through October 11 at Slate Gallery, seems to draw from both these mythic sources, creating vessels of time and remembrance that are unmistakably her own.
Wong’s collaged paintings on shaped aluminum and wood panel evoke spent blossoms drifting in eddying water. The works stretch across the gallery walls, each self-contained yet visually linked to the next, forming a fluid narrative of transformation and resilience. Her pieces speak to personal empowerment and the deliberate reclamation of history, with every element testifying to a journey through trauma and healing.
Her mixed media drawings on paper echo similar sentiments. Delicate lines form and unform like nests, rendered with a softness reminiscent of Rubens’ painted drapery. Drawn contours, framed by the ghostly sweeps of candle smoke (or marks that mimic it), move toward intricate formations, moments of calm within the controlled chaos of the varied materials.
“I have this process of painting and then burning things with candle smoke,” Wong explained. “A lot of that is about the notion of the past disappearing, that you could, you could burn your history,” she added. Wall-based fiber and LED light installations, along with a heat-molded acrylic assemblage, extend the conversation, introducing new chapters in her story and showcasing her breadth of method and material.
Most of the exhibition’s titles are rooted in Greek mythology. “I started on this journey of reading Greek mythology as a way to sort of sublimate stories of loss and trauma,” Wong said. “If you can’t really articulate it in your own life, sometimes the beauty of myth empowers in that way.”
Whether Wong’s aim is to forget and be born anew or to remember in order to move forward, Full Circle becomes a personal mythology shaped by her own hand. In these works, dark lines creep inward and braid themselves around vibrant colors that resist containment, much like Wong herself. Rather than dimmed, these colors are made more radiant by the charred marks that surround them.
Her recently published book Mending Body / Mending Mind is available at Slate Gallery, offering a career retrospective and featuring poetry by Aya Karpinska, with contributions by Elizabeth Wiet and Mira Dayal.
Full Circle remains on view at Slate Gallery through October 11. Wong will also participate in Karl: The Art of Fashion this Friday, October 3, in San Francisco where a new piece will be unveiled. For more information or to schedule a visit, contact Slate Gallery or attend the artist talk for Karl October 11th.
