Matthew Wong
UNTITLED, 2018
Gouache on paper
24 x 18 in
61 x 45.7 cm
Framed:
26 1/2 x 20 1/2 in
67.3 x 52.1 cm
Available at Surovek Gallery
It’s not difficult to outline the chronology of the life of Matthew Wong (1984-2019): He was born in Toronto, his family moved to Hong Kong when he was seven and returned to Canada when he was fifteen. He received a degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Michigan in 2007, returned to Hong Kong that year and earned a Masters in Photography from the City University of Hong Kong in 2012.
Listing his early achievements almost makes them sound simple, but Wong was able to achieve those accomplishments while dealing with autism, Tourette Syndrome and depression.
He began drawing and painting only after receiving his Masters and returning to Canada in 2016. He studied art and artists on his own, and became one of the most interesting and talented painters of his generation.
Wong posted his work on Facebook, where he gained the attention of gallerist and art collector John Cheim, who gave him some guidance.
In 2015, Wong had his first solo show at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Center. In 2016 his work was included in an exhibit at Karma Gallery. His works began to garner greater attention and, in 2018, he had a very successful solo show at Karma.
He was preparing for a second solo exhibit at Karma in November 2019. Sadly, Matthew Wong died, by his own hand, on October 2, 2019. The exhibit, Matthew Wong: Blue, was displayed posthumously.
Matthew Wong’s works are being sought by collectors. His first large painting available at auction, The Realm of Appearances, was sold in July 2020 for $1.82 million, twenty times its original estimate. In December 2020, a painting called River at Dusk was sold for $4.86 million, four times its original estimate.
His work is included in public collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Aishti Foundation, the Estée Lauder Collection and other major venues.
References:
Roberta Smith. A Final Rhapsody in Blue From Matthew Wong. The New York Times. December 27, 2019.
Neil Gunslinger. Matthew Wong, Painter on Cusp of Fame, Dies at 35. The New York Times. October 21, 2019.
Roberta SmithMartha Schwendener and Will Heinrich. What to See in New York Art Galleries This Week. The New York Times. April 11, 2018.
Please contact us if you would like more information about the work of Matthew Wong available at Surovek Gallery.
