Kristen Liu-Wong rose to internet fame back in the 2010s with her unique brand of subversive illustrated art. Now, ten years later, the internet-famous artist is back at Downtown Los Angeles’ beloved Corey Helford Gallery with her new show, Animal Instinct, and no holds barred. From Spike TV to Luigi Mangione, DTLA Weekly has the full scoop on the artist who is as raw as the work she built her name on.
Fact #1 – She originally wanted to be an Eye Surgeon.
Photo Credit: Carmen Chan
DTW: We think every artist has a moment where they’re like, I think this is what I’m gonna do. What was that moment for you?
KLW: When I was a little kid, I thought I wanted to be an eye surgeon. But I always loved art. My mom’s an elementary school art teacher, so she really encouraged us. When I started applying for college, I realized I didn’t have the discipline it takes to be a doctor. I couldn’t even dissect a fetal pig, its little eyelashes made me too sad. And the smell of formaldehyde is gnarly. So I thought, well, I’m actually doing really well in art class. Art was the one thing I was good at, and it fulfilled me in a way schoolwork didn’t. So I decided to apply to art school.
DTW:What kind of themes are you looking at in your works right now for this show?
KLW:The show is called Animal Instinct… I feel it’s pretty clearly established that we are the most dangerous animal on this planet. I think it’s interesting that as humans we say to behave as an animal… it’s a dig, you know, but we’re actually the ones who, when we’re (mad) or jealous or feeling greedy, we go out and murder people; we do genocides, school shootings. You know, we have all of these animalistic urges… We hate being reminded of it, but mammals are animals. We fight, we love, we lust. It’s all the same; we just magnify it times a thousand.
Fact #3 -She’s been working with the Corey Heldford Gallery for a while.
Photos courtesy Corey Helford Gallery
DTW: When it comes to working with the Corey Halford Gallery specifically, what has that been like?
KLW: We’ve worked together for a while now. They’re the main gallery that I show within Los Angeles when I do have a major exhibition. We’ve been working together maybe since, gosh, almost since 2018 or 2017, maybe 2017—even earlier. They approached me. When I first moved out here, I had been invited to do a three-person show with them.
Fact #4 -Shes Instagram famous
Photos courtesy Corey Helford Gallery
KLW: I had a Tumblr, so I was starting to get more Tumblr followers and submit to blogs… Yeah, social media growth, I mean, I don’t know—it just kind of happened. I think I struck at the right time when Instagram was still allowing organic growth. I view my social media as a tool to share my artwork, but it’s not my artwork; it doesn’t define my art at all. I just remind myself, that’s not why you make paintings. You don’t make paintings so you can have 200,000 followers. You make paintings because you have to make paintings.
Fact # 5- Her favorite piece of the show references Luigi Mangione.
Photos courtesy Corey Helford Gallery
DTW: What is your favorite piece from the show right now?
KLW: It’s called The Parade. It’s all the people going through the town. That piece was actually inspired by Emile Zola. He’s one of my favorite novelists, and he wrote this novel called Germinal that’s about a strike inspired by a strike that happened in a small French mining town. And there’s this one scene that always stuck with me. Then earlier this year, the CEO shooting by Luigi Mangione. I was really struck by the similarities, you know—society’s violent response to oppression and the cyclical nature of violence and my own mixed feelings towards that action happening, so just all of those impulses are in this piece.
DTW: Tell us more…
KLW: I wanted it to be a piece that was really surreal and kind of, like, where you have to take a look to fully consume the horror that’s happening in front of you. When you first look at it, it looks like this joyous, colorful town celebration. And it takes you a second to really look and see what’s actually happening. But again, you’re just confronted with the horror of the image, the violence. And in the end, does it really matter what he did when you see that horror happening and that celebration of death and maiming?
Fact #7-Censorship is still a big concern despite her massive following.
KLW: It’s more challenging for me to get commercial work just because of the imagery that I touch on in my private work. Lots of companies care about what kind of images you share on your Instagram. If they’re a family-friendly company, they don’t want your Instagram having any pictures of nipples or anything, even if they’re, like, cartoon nipples, and everyone literally has nipples. Censorship is definitely something I still face with commercial work, so that’s why it’s nice to have the gallery work
Fact #8-The girl just wants to watch some Spike TV
KLW: I’ve always kind of felt not necessarily like a tomboy, because I’m not athletic…but I definitely haven’t felt like the picture of femininity. I loved dinosaurs growing up. I like watching Spike television for men, you know, James Bond, he’s a little bit of a misogynist, but damn, he can spy! I think when we try to put things into boxes…I’m like, why can’t Spike also be television for women? I too want to watch a thousand stupid ways to die.
Fact #9- Shes not here to compete.
Some artists kind of view art as more of a competition, and that’s fine, that’s their thing, but I specifically got into art because there’s no such thing as a winner or loser. I was like, if I wanted winners and losers, I’d get into sports. I’m here for the vibes, man! Art can’t be defined. Good art can’t be defined; it’s all in the eye of the beholder. There are no winners or losers; there’s no such thing as good art or bad art, really.
Kristen’s work is on display at the Corey Helford Gallery located on 571 S Anderson St #1, Los Angeles, CA 90033 from November 22nd 2025 to January 3rd 2026. The Animal Instinct exhibition is free to enter and open Tuesday- Saturday 12-6pm. www.Kristenliuart.com
