Paul Wong

Paul Wong (1954 -) is a multimedia artist, activist, writer and curator who was born in Prince Rupert and is based in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Wong’s work often tackles head-on identity politics and interrogates oppressive dominant structures such as systemic racism and homophobia. Other prominent themes in his work include death and memory, as well as media manipulation. Wong has received many awards for his contributions to video art including the Bell Canada Award in Video Art (1992), the inaugural Trailblazer Expressions Award (2003) created by Heritage Canada, the National Film Board and CHUM Limited, the Canada Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Art (2005) and the Audain Prize For Lifetime Achievement In Visual Arts (2016). In 2023, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Emily Carr University of Art + Design and was recognized as an Outstanding Artist by the Federation of Gay Games. Wong’s recent works include 5, a series of immersive art experiences commissioned for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and more recently a year-long residency at Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Gardens in partnership with the City of Vancouver. Curated projects include 10 Seconds (2011) with the City of Vancouver Public Art Project, Thru The Trap Door (2014) and the Pride in Chinatown festival (2018-2022) etc. His work has been included and exhibited in the collections of many public institutions such as the National Gallery Of Canada, The Museum Of Modern Art, the Vancouver Art Gallery etc.