A striking similarity between the work of Matthew Wong and Vincent van Gogh is the use of colour. Both artists like intense colours, and the paint is often applied thickly and expressively. Both artists believe that colours can convey certain emotions to the viewer.
Dreamlike landscapes
Wong paints dreamlike landscapes that remind you of a place that you miss, or that you would like to exist. Wong can use his chosen colours to create a dreamworld in which viewers can lose themselves. Van Gogh uses colour to express life’s great emotions.
In 1888, Van Gogh predicts that the painter of the future will be a colourist such as there hasn’t been before. At the time, he didn’t know that he himself would be that painter, and that many artists would later be inspired by him. While both Wong and Van Gogh like bright colours and are interested in how colour affects viewers, they approach colour differently.
Choosing colours intuitively
Wong has a natural talent for combining colours. He spontaneously selects a single shade with which to start, and the rest follows intuitively. This means that lively and contrasting colour combinations can develop on the canvas. Wong also explores the possibilities of monochrome paintings, in which he limits himself to using different shades of one colour.
