Tyrus Wong, 102: Background Artist for “Bambi”

“In the 1930s, when very few minorities were employed in Hollywood, Disney Studios made the rare move of hiring a young Chinese immigrant, Tyrus Wong, to design the backgrounds for its new animated film, ‘Bambi.’ As ‘background artist,’ Wong created a unique look that contributed to the film’s lasting success, painting dreamy forest scenes using watercolor washes and rendering individual trees with single, dynamic strokes reminiscent of Chinese ink painting.In 2001, after a long career in Hollywood as a motion picture illustrator, he was honored as a ‘Disney Legend,’ the only Asian American to receive the title.” Chinese American filmmaker Pamela Tom has made a documentary film about Wong’s life and art. Click here to read more of this fascinating story.