• Warren King 3

    Image courtesy of Tribeca Citizen

  • Wking 1
  • Wking 4
Warren King 3
Wking 1
Wking 4
Events  / 
Artist Talk

An Evening with Warren King: King of Cardboard

Thursday, Jun 25, 2026
6:00 pm — 7:00 pm

Register

Join us for an evening with sculptor Warren King, who transforms cardboard into sculptural reflections of his Chinese-American identity and history. Enjoy a screening of Warren King: King of Cardboard, a newly released 16-minute documentary short by director Curtis Chin that follows the artist as he prepares for an exhibition in his home state of Wisconsin, and reflects on his unlikely path from structural engineer to figurative sculptor.

Following the screening, King will join Meena Ariagno, host of the iHeart Podcast Eavesdrop with Meena, in conversation about his practice — exploring how the constraints of corrugated cardboard become a framework for creative problem-solving, and how a material most often discarded becomes a medium for memory, family, and community. The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A.

This is a free event. Registration is encouraged.

Location
Auditorium
Contact

For more information, contact Visitor Services at 616.831.1000.

Cost
Free

About the Artist

Warren King (b. 1970) is an American artist based in New York City working in figurative sculpture, relief art, and installation. Drawing on a background in structural engineering — with degrees from MIT and Stanford — he transforms corrugated cardboard into life-sized works that explore belonging, diaspora, and the people, histories, and myths of his Chinese American ancestry. His practice examines personal relationships to community and immigration, using the material constraints of cardboard as a framework for creative problem-solving.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, King has also lived in California and Sweden, and his work has been exhibited throughout Europe as well as the United States. He is a recipient of the Alex J. Ettl Grant from the National Sculpture Society and the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship for Craft/​Sculpture. He will be featured in ​“The King of Cardboard” in Season 4 of In the Making, the PBS American Masters and Firelight Media documentary series, premiering May of 2026.