The Work of Matthew Wong in Venice

In 2011, Matthew Wong (1984-2019)  was a photography student, interning at the Hong Kong pavilion at the Venice Biennale, when he decided that he would become a painter. He had already received a degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Michigan and an MFA in Photography from the City University of Hong Kong.

 

Wong began to study art on his own. He made an ink drawing every morning, began painting, posting his work and reaching out to other artists on Facebook. Jonas Wood was among those who became a fan and supporter of Wong’s work.

 

Wong was born in Toronto. His parents moved to Hong Kong for business when he was seven, and returned to Canada when he was fifteen. The move back to Canada was, in part, to get Wong treatment for Tourette syndrome, autism and the depression that he dealt with throughout his life. “Man that must’ve sucked to be Van Gogh,” he wrote.

 

 

His works are an expression of both loneliness and hope. Soon after he began painting, he began to gain recognition from the art world and his works were exhibited in galleries in New York and Hong Kong.

 

He had his first solo exhibit at the Karma Gallery in 2018. It was so successful, that second solo exhibit was planned at Karma for November 2019. Matthew Wong took his own life on October 2, 2019. He was 35. The exhibit was opened, as planned, with no works for sale.

 

Wong witnessed his success; two of his paintings sold, before his death, for more than $5 million each.

 

Wong’s mother, Monita Wong, has set up the Matthew Wong Foundation in Edmonton, open by invitation to scholars and artists. 

 

Matthew Wong Interiors is currently on view at Palazzo Tiepolo Passi in Venice, during the 61st Venice Biennale, through November 1, 2026. 

 

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A generous donation to the National Gallery of Art in Washington will allow the Gallery to loan artworks to smaller institutions around the country.

 

Art collector Mitchell P. Rales, who has been a National Gallery trustee for more than 20 years and served as president for five years, donated $116 million to fund the loan program. 

 

“We have an incredible asset base in the form of 160,000 works of art, most of which end up in storage for long periods of time, because you just can’t show it all,” Rales told the New York Times. ‘What do we need to do to put the word “national” into the National Gallery of Art?’

 

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References:

Arthur Lubow. A Grieving Mother Safeguards Her Son’s Artistic Legacy. The New York Times. May 10, 2026.

Chiara Rimella. Venice off the beaten track. Art Basel. May 4, 2026.

Jackie Wullschläger. Matthew Wong’s rhapsodies in blue claim their place in art history. Financial Times. April 29, 2026.

Robin Pogrebin. With $116 Million Gift, National Gallery Will Send Its Art Around Nation. The New York Times. April 21, 2026.

Mary Randolph. The National Gallery of Art Embraces New Role as Lending Library, 

Thanks to a Big Gift That Sends Artwork to Other Museums. Smithsonian Magazine. April 22, 2026.

 

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Please contact us if you would like more information about the work of Matthew Wong available at Surovek Gallery.

July 17, 2026