Alison Kuo

Alison Kuo is a sculptor and community arts organizer in Brooklyn, NY. She creates works from found objects and textiles sourced from Chinatown, often drawing on her family history with Cantonese Opera to explore Asian diaspora experience.

Alison Kuo makes sculptures from found objects and creates performances that tell stories about the Asian diaspora experience. She is a community arts organizer in Manhattan's Chinatown and a second-generation immigrant. She uses found objects and textiles sourced from Chinatown streets and shops to tell stories about diaspora culture. Her interest in Cantonese Opera emerges from family history. Her grandmother performed the form in Hong Kong and bequeathed Kuo a key piece of costuming: a beard traditionally worn by performers regardless of their gender. She is a co-founder of Sisters in Self-Defense, a women's martial arts training group formed in response to violence directed at the Asian American community during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2026, her New Museum residency culminates in the performance "A flame latches to a bit of straw," featuring sculptural sets and costumes built using materials sourced from Chinatown's shops and streets.