Caroline Wong

Caroline Wong’s work responds to traditional, restricted representations of East Asian women. For Wong, subverting these ideals is the essence of her practice. Her beginnings, as an artist, lay in more traditional forms of portraiture, yet, as she...

Caroline Wong’s work responds to traditional, restricted representations of East Asian women. For Wong, subverting these ideals is the essence of her practice. Her beginnings, as an artist, lay in more traditional forms of portraiture, yet, as she has grown, she has nurtured the epicurean side of herself, moving towards more excitable, expressive mark-making driven by a hedonistic desire for fun. She likens creating to eating. In both, she becomes consumed by the moment of pleasure, detaching herself from the world. The final image presents a hot, sticky portal of pleasure and the senses. The scintillating heat of her portraits is a visual representation of this joy and decadence, whilst also being reminiscent of the chaos and colour of Southeast Asia. Whether depicting female friendships or obdurately exhibiting female pleasure in food, her work is a joyful push-back against tradition, celebrating the beauty in excess.