Matthew Wong’s imagination plays an important role in his art, but he also had other sources of inspiration.
Matthew Wong’s sources of inspiration
How did Matthew Wong get ideas for his artworks?
Part 3/5, reading time: 1 minute
Wong had a keen interest in what other artists were doing, and a fragment from a song or a certain scene from a film could also give him new ideas. Here are several of his sources of inspiration:
The Chinese tradition
Matthew Wong enjoyed being inspired by traditional Chinese painting. He used typical Chinese materials such as ink and rice paper, and was familiar with the work of Chinese artists like Shitao (1642-1707) and Bada Shanren (1626-1705).
In the landscape The Journey Home, for example, we see a solitary traveller in a boat. Wong saw this theme in the work of Shitao.
Poetry
Wong not only read poetry, he has also written his own poems, including an ode to Van Gogh. Wong liked poets including James Arthur (1988), Lorine Niedecker (1903-1970) and Charles Simic (1938-2023). The titles of Wong’s artworks often contain references to music or poetry.
Music
Hip-hop, jazz or grunge: Matthew Wong had an eclectic taste in music. Listen to a playlist with a selection of his favourite songs on Spotify.
Film
Throughout his time as an artist, Matthew Wong watches a film (almost) every evening. The images and themes inspire him. These are a few of his favourite films:
- Federico Fellini, 8 ½ (1963)
- David Lynch, Mulholland Drive (2001)
- Andrei Tarkovsky, The Mirror (1975)
Matthew Wong, The Journey Home, 2017, Private Collection, Courtesy HomeArt. © Matthew Wong Foundation c/o Pictoright Amsterdam 2023