Shortly before his death at a young age, the Canadian painter and draughtsman Matthew Wong (1984 Toronto – 2019 Edmonton) emerged as a phenomenon with his striking landscape images. A self-taught artist, he attracted attention and gained international renown in a remarkably short time.
The focus of Wong’s work is on landscapes with an expressively lyrical power. The product of his imagination, they were inspired by both traditional Chinese painting and Western art.
Wong was especially influenced by Vincent van Gogh (1853 Zundert – 1890 Auvers-sur-Oise), not only in terms of his painting style and choice of motifs, but also in some aspects of his life. Both artists were self-taught, acquiring their drawing and painting skills without tuition, and both faced mental health issues.
At the centre of the exhibition are around 45 paintings and drawings by Wong which are receiving their first-ever showing in Switzerland. These are brought into dialogue with a group of selected van Gogh masterpieces.

The exhibition is a cooperation with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Supported by the Hans Imholz-Stiftung, the Max Kohler Stiftung and the Elisabeth Weber Stiftung.

–

Ill.: Matthew Wong, Coming of Age Landscape, 2018, Private collection, Courtesy of HomeArt, © 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich