Wong Wucius
1936, Dongguan Guangdong China
Introduction
Born in 1936 in Guangdong Province, China, Wucius Wong is a celebrated ink painter and a proponent of the Hong Kong New Ink Movement. He grew up in Hong Kong, and under the tutelage of Lui Shou-Kwan began studying Chinese ink painting in 1958. He co-founded the Modern Literature and Art Association before becoming a member of the One Art Group. After organising the First Hong Kong International Salon of Painting in 1960, he went on to study at the Columbus College of Art and Design in the United States, before obtaining a BFA and MFA from the Maryland Institute of Art. From the 1960s-1980s he worked as an Extramural Course Coordinator at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Assistant Curator of the City Museum and Art Gallery, and Principal Lecturer of the Hong Kong Polytechnic. He was awarded an Asian Cultural Council Fellowship in 1971 and received Bronze Bauhinia Star Medal of the Hong Kong SAR Government, Lifetime Achievement Award of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, University Fellowship of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Presently, he is an Adjunct Professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Permanent Chairman of the Chinese Painting Institute Hong Kong, Committee Member of the National Chinese Painting Institute, Honorary Advisor to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government, and to the Hong Kong Artists Association.
Alisan Fine Arts has organised joint exhibitions for Wong and Pat Hui, featuring their collaborative works in two shows in 1987 and 2005. Notably, Wong was featured in two important exhibitions organised by the gallery to commemorate the life and work of Lui and his students in 1995 and 2015. Wong’s paintings have been exhibited in over eighty solo and group exhibitions across the globe. Two major retrospective exhibitions for Wong have been held at the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 2006, and at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2016.
His paintings were included in China: 5000 Years held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 1998, New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond, curated by Alice King in 2008 and held at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. His works have been collected by the Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; British Museum, London; Museum fur Ostasiatische Kunst, Berlin; National Gallery of Victoria, Australia; Shanghai Art Museum; Hong Kong Heritage Museum; University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Museum of Art; M+.
Alisan Fine Arts has organised joint exhibitions for Wong and Pat Hui, featuring their collaborative works in two shows in 1987 and 2005. Notably, Wong was featured in two important exhibitions organised by the gallery to commemorate the life and work of Lui and his students in 1995 and 2015. Wong’s paintings have been exhibited in over eighty solo and group exhibitions across the globe. Two major retrospective exhibitions for Wong have been held at the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 2006, and at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2016.
His paintings were included in China: 5000 Years held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 1998, New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond, curated by Alice King in 2008 and held at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. His works have been collected by the Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; British Museum, London; Museum fur Ostasiatische Kunst, Berlin; National Gallery of Victoria, Australia; Shanghai Art Museum; Hong Kong Heritage Museum; University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Museum of Art; M+.
BIOGRAPHY
1936 Born in Dongguan, Guangdong, China
1938 Moved to Hong Kong
1955 Co-publisher of the periodical Poetry Blossom
1958 Began studying with Lui Shou-Kwan
1959 Co-founder and chairman of the Modern Literature and Art Association, Hong Kong
1960 Organised 1st International Salon of Painting, Hong Kong
1961 Studied at Columbus College of Art and Design, Ohio, United States
1963-64 Received BFA and MFA degrees, Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore, USA
1965 Organised art and design courses, Extra Mural Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong
1966 Assistant Curator, City Hall Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong
1967 Principal lecturer, School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, until 1984
1971 Grantee of John D Rockefeller 3rd Fund, stayed in New York to do research on Modern Art, United States
1971 Travelled in the United States and Europe; visited the United Kingdom under the sponsorship of British Council
1972 Acting Curator, City Hall Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong
1976 Appointed Honorary Adviser, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
1984 Panellist on the Symposium on 20th Century Chinese Painting, Hong Kong
Immigrated to the United States, took up residence in Minnesota
1985-1994 Moved to Columbus, Ohio, United States
1989 Panellist, Symposium on Contemporary Chinese Art, China Institute in America, New York, United States Harrisburg, United States
1991 Resident artist, Brandywine Workshop, Philadelphia, United States
1993-94 Visiting artist, League of NH Craftman Spring Conference, Concord; Louisville Visual Art Association, Kentucky, United States
1994 Speaker, Conference on the Nature of Chinese Painting, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
1996 Moved back to Hong Kong
2007 Received Bronze Bauhinia Star Medal by Hong Kong Government
2014 Published Collection of Essays by Wucius Wong, Flower City Publishing, Guangzhou, China
2015 Honorary Artist of the Year, awarded by Asia Society, Hong Kong
Artist residence at Hong Kong Polytechnic
Present Adjunct Professor, Fine Arts Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Honorary Advisor, Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Hong Kong SAR Government, Hong Kong
Permanent Chairman, Chinese Painting Institute, Hong Kong
Honorary Advisor, Hong Kong Artists Association, Hong Kong
Committee Member, National Chinese Painting Institute, Beijing, China
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017
- Wucius Wong: Eternal Water, Sotheby's Hong Kong Gallery, Hong Kong
- Ink Innovations and Crossovers: Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings by Wucius Wong, Innovation Gallery, Jockey Club Innovation Tower, Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
2010
- Spirit of Sky and Land: Artworks by Wucius Wong, Exhibition Gallery of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau,Macau
- At the East—West Crossroads—The Art of Wucius Wong, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
2000
- Goedhuis Contemporary, London, UK
- Goethe Institute, Hong Kong
1999
- Hanart TZ Gallery Hong Kong
1998
- Kaikodo Gallery, New York, USA
1997
- Plum Blossoms International, Hong Kong, Singapore
- Hanart TZ Gallery, Hong Kong
1991
- Alice R Rogers Gallery, Saint John University, Minnesota, USA
- Gallery 456, Chinese-American Arts Council, New York, USA
- Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
1990
- Rotunda, Exchange Square, Hong Kong
- Gerald Godfrey Far Eastern Art, London, UK
- Hanart Gallery Inc, New York, USA
1988
- Hsiung Shih Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
1987
- Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minnesota, USA
- Charlotte Horstmann & Gerald Godfrey, Hong Kong
1983
- Hui Arts, Minneapolis, USA
1982
- Printmakers Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
1980
- Gallery Eighties, Toronto, Canada
1979
- Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings and Prints by Wucius Wong, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
1975
-
Goethe-Institut Hong Kong, Hong Kong
1959
- British Council, Hong Kong
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
2021-2022
-
Individuals, Networks, Expressions, South Galleries, M+, Hong Kong
-
The Cabinet, Cabinet exhibition space, M+, Hong Kong
2021
-
Ink Dreams: Selections from the Fondation INK Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA
-
Shuimo Hong Kong: Chinese Ink Painting Institute Hong Kong, Members Paintings, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
2020
- Uniquely Hong Kong: A Celebration of Hong Kong Art, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
-
Asian Cultural Council Fellows Second Annual Exhibition 2020, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
2019
-
Hong Kong Experience • Hong Kong Experiment, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Waters Korean Mountains: Hong Kong & Korean Art Exchange Exhibition, Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong
- Ink Asia, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
2018
- The Weight of Lightness: Ink Art at M+, M+ Pavilion, Hong Kong
2017
2016
- Oriental Charm: Ink Art in Shanghai and Hong Kong 2016, Liu Haisu Art Museum, Shanghai, China; Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong
- Alisan Fine Arts: Celebrating 35 Years of Promoting Chinese Contemporary Art, Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong
2012
- Ink Painting: International Ink Painting Exhibition and Symposium, National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
- The Origin of Tao: New Dimensions in Chinese Contemporary Art, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
- 7th International Ink Art Biennale of Shenzhen, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
-
Legacy & Creations: Ink Art vs Ink Art, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2009
- 6th International Ink Painting Biennale of Shenzhen, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
- Selected Hong Kong Artists, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
2008
- Hong Kong Art: Open Dialogue Exhibition Series II – New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond, curated by Alice King, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
- Beyond the Surface: Works of Chinese Abstract Art Exhibition, Macau Museum of Art, Macau
2007
- Hong Kong Contemporary Chinese Ink Painting Exhibition 2007, In Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Hong Kong’s Return to the Motherland, Artist Commune, Hong Kong
- Contemporary Hong Kong Ink Painting Exhibition, Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong
2005
2004
- Xin Xie Yi: Selections of New Freehand Chinese Ink Painting by Invited Artists, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
- 4th International Ink Painting Biennial of Shenzhen, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
2002
- 3rd International Ink Painting of Shenzhen: Metropolis Ink Painting, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
2001
- Hong Kong Cityscapes: Ink Painting in Transition, Brunei Gallery, The School of Oriental and African Studies, London, UK
- Asian Acquisitions 1990-1999, Arthur Sackler Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
1998
- Shanghai Art Biennale, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
- China 5000 Years, Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA
- Shenzhen International Ink Biennale, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
1995
1994
- The Beauty of Ink, Exhibition of Ink Paintings by Contemporary Master Artists in North America, Chinese Culture Centre, Westmont; Chicago Cultural Centre, Chicago, USA
- Beyond the Borders: Art by Recent Immigrants, Bronx Museum of Arts, New York, USA
- Orientations: Travelling Exhibition of Chinese, Japanese, Korean Paintings, David Adamson Gallery, Washington DC; Louisville Visual Art Association, Kentucky, USA
1992
- Contemporary Hong Kong Art Biennale, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
1990
- Exhibition of 19th and 20th Century Chinese Paintings, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong
1988
- Continuity and Change: Five Contemporary Chinese Artists, Yale University Art Gallery, Connecticut, USA
- Aspetti della Pittura Chinese Contemporanea, Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna, Ferrara, Italy
- 1st International Ink-Wash Painting Exhibition, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
1986
- Development of Modern Chinese Painting: A Retrospective Exhibition, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
1987
- The Poetic Visions: Collaborative with Pat Hui, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
1985
- Shui Mo: The New Spirit of Chinese Tradition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1983
- Overseas Chinese Artists Exhibition, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
1982
- Contemporary Hong Kong Art, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Manila, Philippines
- 1st Exhibition of Asian Art, Bahrain
1980
- Art Toronto ‘80, Toronto, Canada
1976
- Art ‘76, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
1975
- Annual Art Exhibition, National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
1973
- Five Contemporary Chinese Painters, Mavis Chapman Gallery, Sydney, Australia
1971
- Art Now Hong Kong, London; Edinburgh; Bristol; Manchester, UK
1970
- Hong Kong Art Exhibition, Hong Kong Pavilion Expo ‘70, Osaka, Japan
1969
- Contemporary Hong Kong Art, City Hall Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong
1966
- One Art Group Exhibition, Manila, Philippines
1964
- Museum Annual Exhibition, Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland, USA
- Columbus Art League Annual Exhibition, Ohio, USA
1962
- Fifth Moon Group Exhibition, Taipei, Taiwan
- Saigon International, Saigon, Vietnam
- Hong Kong Art Today, City Hall Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong
1961
- Sao Paulo Biennial, Sao Paulo, Brazil
1960
- 1st Hong Kong International Salon of Painting, Hong Kong
SELECTED AWARDS
1970 John D Rockefeller III Fund Grant, USA
1998 Fellowship Emeritus, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Hong Kong
Jos. V Canzani Award for Alumni Excellence, Columbus College of Art & Design, Ohio, USA
2007 Received Bronze Bauhinia Star Medal by Hong Kong Government
2015 Honorary Artist of the Year, awarded by Asia Society, Hong Kong
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Minnesota Museum of Art, Minnesota, USA
Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minnesota, USA
Saint Paul Art Museum, Minnesota, USA
Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA
Museum of Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
Florida A & M University, Florida, USA
City University of New York, New York, USA
Chase Manhattan Bank, New York, USA
Morgan Guaranty Trust, New York, USA
Prudential Insurance, New York, USA
American Express, Washington DC, USA
The World Bank, Washington DC, USA
Ford Motor Company, Detroit, USA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA
British Museum, London, UK
Museum fur Ostasiatische Kunst, Berlin, Germany
Eastern Art Museum, Hamburg, Germany
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Australia National Trust, Melbourne, Australia
Union Bank of Switzerland, Switzerland
Shanghai Art Museum, China
First National Bank of Dallas, Singapore
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
M+, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong
Peninsula Group, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Jockey Club, Hong Kong
Standard & Chartered Bank, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Land, Hong Kong
Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation, Hong Kong
