Matthew Wong, The Realm of Appearances," 2018
oil on canvas 65" x 80" (courtesy Sotheby's)
A painting by a self-taught Edmonton artist, Matthew Wong, who died last October, fetched more than US$1.8 million at a recent auction at Sotheby's in New York,
The painting, The Realm Of Appearances, a riot of bold stylized trees, with a small solitary figure at a wishing well, surpassed its expected price of US$70,000. Two other paintings by Wong also sold recently far above expectations at Phillips, a New York auction house.
Wong, died in October of suicide at age 35, on the cusp of fame.
Born in Toronto in 1984, he moved with his parents to Hong Kong as a child. The family returned when he was 15, eventually settling in Edmonton.
His mother, Monita (Cheng) Wong, told the New York Times that Wong was on the autism spectrum, had Tourette’s syndrome and had struggled with depression since childhood.
New York critic Roberta Smith has called his work "some of the most irresistible paintings I’ve ever encountered.”
Source: National Post