Heralded by the New York Times as “one of the most talented painters of his generation,” Toronto-born Chinese Canadian artist Matthew Wong (1984–2019) lit up the art world during the final two years of his brilliant but short-lived career. In his extraordinarily expressive style, Wong captivated audiences all over the world with his imaginary landscapes and interiors in cerulean, cobalt, navy, indigo, ultramarine, and azure. Marking the first-ever museum show of his work, Matthew Wong: Blue View will open to AGO Members on Aug. 13, 2021, and to Annual Passholders and members of the public on Aug. 17, 2021. The exhibition will be on until April 18, 2022.
Matthew Wong, Blue Night, 2018. Oil on canvas, 152.4 x 121.9 cm. © 2018 Matthew Wong Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York. Image courtesy of Karma, New York.
Self-taught, Wong’s remarkable and rapid success followed his formal education in North America and Hong Kong, where he studied cultural anthropology and photography and pursued his passion for poetry. Through his vivid still life compositions and imaginary landscapes, he sought to “activate nostalgia, both personal and collective.” But ever-present in these deeply personal artworks is a reoccurring sense of isolation. In a 2018 interview, when asked about his paintings, Wong responded, “I do believe there is an inherent loneliness or melancholy to much of contemporary life, and on a broader level I feel my work speaks to this quality in addition to being a reflection of my thoughts, fascinations and impulses.”
Matthew Wong: Blue View is free for AGO Members, holders of the $35 Annual Pass, and visitors aged 25 and under, and is included in General Admission. Admission to the AGO requires advance booking of a timed-entry ticket. For more details on how to book your tickets or to become a Member or Annual Passholder, visit ago.ca.
Matthew Wong, Starry Night, 2019. Oil on canvas, 152.4 x 177.8 cm. © 2019 Matthew Wong Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York. Image courtesy of Karma, New York.
Matthew Wong, A Dream, 2019. Oil on canvas, 177.8 x 203.2 cm. © 2019 Matthew Wong Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York. Image courtesy of Karma, New York.
About Matthew Wong
Matthew Wong (b. Toronto, 1984 – d. Edmonton, 2019) was a self-taught painter. Wong was educated at York School, Toronto, and received a degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and an MFA in photography from the City University of Hong Kong’s School of Creative Media. He found acclaim quickly after his works were included in group exhibitions in Hong Kong and China, and at Karma gallery in Amagansett, NY in 2016, in a show curated by Matthew Higgs.
Wong’s works are held in international collections such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Guggenheim Museum, New York; Dallas Museum of Art, Texas; Esteé Lauder Collection, New York; and Aïshti Foundation, Beirut. The AGO acquired its first work by the artist in 2020, a painting titled The Long Way Home, 2014-15. It was generously gifted by Monita and Raymond Wong in memory of their son.
