Ming Donkey is an interdisciplinary installation and performance artist and musician born and raised in Mississippi, a landscape steeped in contradiction. His installations blend various artistic mediums, techniques, and genres, drawing inspiration from his experiences and travels as a touring musician within diverse DIY and Punk Rock communities. His work merges rural and urban elements, intertwining the past with the present. Ming is particularly fascinated by marketing strategies and their influence, especially in the political realm. Through his ongoing series, “The Continuing Ballad of Franco the Kid,” Ming explores the impact of contemporary capitalism on community and identity.

Ming holds an MFA in Electronic Visualization and a BFA with a double emphasis in studio art and graphic design. He has taught at Mississippi State University, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Jackson Public Schools. Beyond academia, Ming’s artistic endeavors have spanned local, regional, and national exhibitions and performances alongside engagements at prestigious international art conferences like Atlanta’s Living Walls. His work has garnered recognition through awards for public art projects and commissions in retail, film, and events. Notably, Ming’s artistic contributions have been showcased in esteemed publications like Number: Inc and Juxtapoz. As a performer exploring various music genres, Ming has shared the stage with acts as diverse as Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives and the English punk rock band Subhumans. He completed a music residency during Columbia’s True/False Film Festival. Additionally, his role as a songwriter and musician has been featured in a Visit Mississippi Tourism campaign.