Thomas Chung (born 1988) is an American visual artist and assistant professor of art and painting based in Anchorage, Alaska. His multidisciplinary work often explores themes of globalization, cultural healing, and contemporary sociopolitical issues.
Early life and education
Chung was born in New Jersey and spent his childhood in New York and Hong Kong. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2010, studied at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London, and completed a Master of Fine Arts at the Yale School of Art in 2013.
Career
Chung’s early exhibition history includes participation in the 2012 group show “Gifted and Talented” in Manhattan, curated by performance artist Clifford Owens. He gained broader public attention when his work was featured on PBS’s “Indie Alaska” series in May 2019. In 2018, he presented a solo exhibition titled Everything is Sacred at the Anchorage Museum, which subsequently added his works to its permanent collection. In 2020, Chung collaborated with University of Alaska Anchorage painting students to create a stained‑glass‑inspired mural in downtown Anchorage, in partnership with the Anchorage Museum.
Controversy – “Everything”
In response to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Chung produced a large oil painting titled “Everything,” depicting actor Chris Evans holding a severed head of former President Donald Trump. Displayed at the University of Alaska’s Kimura Gallery in April 2017, the image attracted national media coverage, including Fox News, The Associated Press, and local television stations. The controversy generated threats, hate mail, and necessitated a police escort for the artist. University of Alaska Anchorage President Jim Johnsen issued a statement supporting Chung’s right to free expression, and the incident has been cited in discussions on the limits of free speech in art.
Awards and recognition
- 2016 Rasmuson Foundation Project Award for a series of ten large‑scale oil paintings.
- University‑wide Theron Rockwell Field Prize for “poetic, literary, or religious scholarship” at Yale University.
Personal life
Chung resides in North Anchorage, Alaska.
References
Information compiled from publicly available sources, including the artist’s university faculty profile and documented news coverage of his exhibitions and the “Everything” controversy.