On May 14, 2024 Winnie Wong gave a talk at the University of Washington as part of The Katz Distinguished Lectures in the Humanities Series, "The Many Names of Anonymity: Rethinking Export Art." The lecture introduced the Chinese painters of the global maritime trade, based in the port of Guangzhou (Canton), circa 1700-1850. These painters produced thousands of artworks for European and American buyers, but even today their historical identities remain purely speculative. Examining the art market, historical archives, and collecting enterprise which have named and unnamed them, Wong explored artistic identity, anonymity and the rise of signature authorship in its global modern form.
The Katz Distinguished Lectures in the Humanities Series recognizes scholars in the humanities and emphasizes the role of the humanities in liberal education.
The series is named after Solomon Katz, who served for 53 years at the UW, as an instructor, professor, Chair of the Department of History, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Provost, and Vice President for Academic Affairs.