The Visual Poetry of Monica Ong

visual poetry by Monica Ong

Limited Edition

 
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The Dark Side of the Moon

Inspired by Chinese American physicist Chien-Shiung Wu, this visual poem maps women’s labor on the dark side of the moon. Embossed moon surface with text in letterpress platinum silver foil on 1-ply flurry cover stock, 16 x 22 inches.


 

Purple Forbidden Enclosure

This visual poem rewrites the constellations of the Chinese northern celestial pole from a female gaze, framing each asterism as a stop on a precarious map of womanhood. Gold & silver foil stamping, custom letterpress on Colorplan imperial blue cover, 12 x 18 inches. Winner of the 2020 New Alchemy Contest, published by Permafrost Magazine, 2021.

 

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The Glass Larynx

This contrapuntal poem challenges philosopher Chuang Tzu on whether attaining the Way is not by virtue of silence but in the refusal to be silenced. Custom letterpress print on 100 lbs. Mohawk Superfine white eggshell paper. Poem first published in Hyperallergic, 2015.

 

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Innervation

In this anatomical poem, the diagram of the nerves becomes the mother-like branches where daughter-like birds touch and go. Custom letterpress print on 100 lbs. Mohawk Superfine white eggshell paper. Poem first published in Glassworks Magazine, Issue 6, 2013.

 

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The Vessel

The coronary arteries around the heart frames ancestral tributes around an old photograph of my maternal grandfather. Custom letterpress print on 100 lbs. Mohawk Superfine white eggshell paper. Poem first published in Hyperallergic, 2015.

 

Poetry off the Page

 
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The Star Gazer

Based on the Soochow Astronomical Chart of 1193, this poem in the form of a planisphere depicts the Chinese night sky as seen from the northern hemisphere. To view the stars, turn the disc to align the desired date with the hour of night. Face south and hold the planisphere overhead with the corner marked North facing north. The map will reveal a celestial poem that awaits you among the asterisms. Let the eyes wander and read aloud to someone dear.

 

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Lunar Volvelle

This interactive poem takes form of a lunar volvelle. As the moon reveals its ever-changing shape, so too does the poem that radiates from the volvelle's heart. Fear not. During the full moon, my father's mother will watch over you.

 

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remedies series

Apothecary poems made from family photographs and vintage medicine bottles explore the stories hidden within cultural anxieties. Poems first published in Tidal Basin Review, 2012.

 

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metal lungs

This artist book meditates on the stories of the body that are underreported. Displayed on a pedestal, it invites the readers to open the lungs to examine the secrets inside. The spread of the book mimics the lungs, breathing a tension between the individual and the expectations of the cultural community. Digital print on paper mounted on plywood. Poem first published in Drunken Boat, 2012. Yale Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Collection of American Literature.

 

 

corona mestiza

This CT-scan poem seeks to decipher the mystery of the artist's father, the lesions in the “brain” a map of Philippine Islands, his birthplace. Duratrans print on vintage medical light box. 14x18x4 in. Poem first published online in Lantern Review, 2011. Yale Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Collection of American Literature.