"ART HAS REALLY BEEN THE WAY I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UNDERSTAND BOTH CULTURES, AND TO UNDO THE WRONGDOING OF BOTH CULTURES."
Bernice Bing (1936-1998) was a trailblazing Chinese American painter whose work navigated the intricacies of cultural and sexual identity, informed by her personal experience.
Born in San Francisco's Chinatown, Bing faced the dual struggle of assimilating into American life while seeking a connection to her Chinese heritage. Known affectionately as Bingo, her work explores themes of identity and cultural assimilation, reflecting her unique position as an independent-minded queer artist. Her profound impact is increasingly recognized, with significant exhibitions including Bingo: The Life and Art of Bernice Bing (2020) at the Sonoma Valley Museum and Into View: Bernice Bing (2022–23) at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco.
Bing's artistic journey began with early exposure to drawing, which provided her a connection to her cultural roots amid her experiences in white foster homes and at a predominantly white school. Her formal education included studies at the California College of the Arts and the San Francisco Art Institute, where she was influenced by notable artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Elmer Bischoff, and Saburō Hasegawa. Hasegawa's integration of Zen principles and Asian techniques profoundly impacted Bing, prompting her exploration of abstract expressionism and Eastern philosophies.
In the 1960s, Bing became a central figure in San Francisco's Beat arts scene, working alongside prominent artists like Joan Brown and Bruce Conner. Her work was recognized early on, leading to a solo exhibition at the Batman Gallery in 1961.
Despite her contributions and involvement in the art community, including roles as a community organizer and executive director at the South of Market Cultural Center, her work was largely overlooked during her lifetime. It wasn't until posthumous exhibitions and renewed scholarly attention that Bing's influential role in abstract expressionism and Asian American art gained broader recognition.
Bing's legacy is preserved in major collections such as the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, and the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento. Her archives, housed at Stanford University, continue to offer valuable insights into her life and work.