September 2, 2025 | Uncategorized,

Who is Kristina Wong?

Kristina Wong, the artist behind Kristina Wong, #FoodBankInfluencer,  is a bold and boundary-pushing performance artist, comedian, and writer whose work blends humor with sharp social critique. A third-generation Chinese American born in San Francisco, Wong has carved out a unique space in the world of theater and performance art by tackling difficult topics such as mental health, racism, gender inequality, and poverty. She’s also the first Asian-American woman to become a Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Drama.

Her work blends avant-garde performance, comedy, and cultural criticism. Influenced by culture jammers like Banksy and the Yes Men, as well as immersive artists like Yoko Ono and James Luna, Wong uses her body and performance to make sharp, socially engaged commentary.

Wong’s career includes several critically acclaimed solo shows.

One of her early breakout performances was Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which explored the high rates of depression and suicide among Asian American women. The show used a mix of personal storytelling and theatrical satire to shed light on a widely overlooked issue. 

In The Wong Street Journal, she turned her volunteer experience in Uganda into a thought-provoking commentary on Western perceptions of Africa, unpacking ideas of privilege, development, and the global aid industry. 

Another standout project, Kristina Wong for Public Office, blurred the line between performance and reality as she ran for a local political office, using the campaign to examine civic engagement, performative activism, and the absurdity of politics in the digital age.

Wong’s newest show, Kristina Wong, #FoodBankInfluencer, is a solo musical that focuses on the American emergency food system. Drawing from real-life experiences with food distribution in places like New York City and the Navajo Nation, Wong uses the character of a social media influencer who glamorizes food bank hauls to spotlight the contradictions and injustices of food insecurity in the United States. Through original songs, monologues, and vivid storytelling, Wong reveals the systemic flaws in how food is distributed and the ways communities are forced to rely on unstable support systems to meet basic needs.

And Kristina Wong really is a food bank influencer. 

During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, Kristina Wong partnered with World Harvest Food Bank in Los Angeles to provide free groceries to union members affected by the work stoppage. As a SAG-AFTRA member herself, Wong helped arrange for striking actors and writers to receive up to $400 worth of groceries without the usual $55 donation or volunteer hours required by the food bank. By promoting the effort and encouraging participation, she helped ease food insecurity among entertainment workers while also using the moment to raise awareness about the precarious financial realities faced by artists during industry shutdowns.

“The persona of ‘Kristina Wong’ in my shows is the ‘know-it-all social justice warrior’ who tackles oppression with tactics that are simplistic in idealism and often self-serving. This naïveté unfolds in hilarious blunders, forcing Kristina Wong towards more poignant investigation, and always, no easy resolution,” Wong said.

Kristina Wong, #FoodBankInfluencer continues Wong’s commitment to merging activism with performance. You can catch the show on the ArtsEmerson stage from Sept 19-21. Single tickets are now on sale!