Shakespeare in LA

On Friday, June 12, the Daniel Rolnik Gallery in Santa Monica is opening a new exhibit entitled The Fake History of the World, curated by art critic Daniel Rolnik. Rolnik showcases original art and prints that are hip and fun, with plenty of humor thrown in for good measure, just a stone’s throw from the ocean.

One of the artists who will be showing his work is Michael C. Hsiung, and one of Michael’s illustrations is inspired by none other than William Shakespeare. I’m always interested in how Shakespeare influences contemporary creative people, whether the medium is theatre, dance, music, or art, so I asked Michael to tell us about his Shakespeare connection.

“In college I was an English major, so often a lot of my drawings are titled after lengthy title chapters or influenced by writing and histories. Naturally I gravitated towards Shakespeare’s works and histories, and even studied abroad a semester in Bath, England. I had a whole course on Shakespeare when I was there too. I was always fascinated by what was behind Shakespeare’s genius, as well as the various theories about whether or not he was actually real. I remember visiting his house, seeing Othello in the theater, and then skinny dipping with classmates in the Stratford Upon Avon. In terms of my artwork, I find that my interests in literature always show up in my drawings — in the title, from a story, or just by creating my own narrative. These things tend to seep out when I’m doodling.”  More