{1/8}This week our spotlight shines on Paul Wong, a man whose #innovative and singular approach to art and life embody his limitless #creativity.
Born in Prince Rupert in 1954, Wong always felt he somehow didn’t fit in with the mainstream. Inspired by a wide variety of social

{2/8} movements, such as #feminist ideologies and multidisciplinary artists like Andy Warhol and Lisa Steele, Wong used art and his boundless imagination to escape his reality and immerse himself in his collages and drawings. When he was 18, Wong received his first professional

{3/8} commission — Earthworks in Harmony, from the @BurnabyArtGall. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was part of the Vancouver Mainstreet artists’ movement and started experimenting with multimedia art. A self-schooled #artist, Wong is also a #community #activist and founder

{4/8}of several artist-run groups. His edgy and thought-provoking conceptual performances and narratives tackle issues such as death, race, and inequality, all of which are present in his work as constant reminders of the power of art to engage and provoke. In 2018, Wong launched

{5/8} Pride in Chinatown, a loud, proud and bold celebration in the heart of #Chinatown. As a queer Chinese-Canadian artist, Wong, who struggled for a long time to take pride in his identity, sought to increase LGBTQ+ representation in one Vancouver’s most vibrant, colourful and

{6/8}historical neighbourhoods. It also brought Wong and the Garden even closer as Paul's long standing relationship with the Garden, as a both past #artist in residence, and regular collaborator continue to straighten to this day. With both national and international accolades

{7/8} such as the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts and the Audain Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Visual Arts, Paul Wong is a #media maestro. #diversity #PrideMonth2020 #PRIDE2020

{8/8}Shaping and meshing the tangible with the unseen, and storytelling through #photography, video or installations, his #talent is one that deserves a standing ovation from all of us. @paulwongproject
Jennifer Gauthier