Wong Hoy Cheong

Wong Hoy Cheong, born in 1960 in George Town, Malaysia, is a multifaceted artist whose practice spans drawing, photography, painting, performance, and film.

Wong Hoy Cheong's Art Style

In his works, Wong Hoy Cheong explores the impacts of human migration, ethnicity, and colonialism. His work is deeply influenced by his upbringing in Malaysia, which he regards as "perhaps the most complex multiethnic and cultural country in the world," as well as his education at American universities, where he experienced a shift "from being a subject to feeling like an object" for the first time.

Wong Hoy Cheong's film Doghole (2010), which is now part of the Guggenheim’s collection, delves into the Japanese occupation of Malaysia before its independence, during and after World War II. The film examines the psychological impacts of war, proposing that intense and stressful conditions can lead to extreme and ambiguous reactions.

Exhibitions of Wong Hoy Cheong's Works

The artist has held solo exhibitions at prominent venues including the National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur (1996 and 2004), as well as at various international locations such as Kunsthalle in Vienna (2003), Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford (2004), NUS Museum and Gallery in Singapore (2008), and Eslite Gallery in Taipei (2010).

His work has also been featured in numerous group exhibitions worldwide, such as the Asia Pacific Triennial in Brisbane (1996), Art in Southeast Asia: Glimpses into the Future at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo (1997), and the Fukuoka Asian Art Triennial in Japan (1999 and 2009). Other notable exhibitions include the Venice Biennale (2003), Liverpool Biennial (2004), Guangzhou Triennial in China (2005).