I first discovered the late Chinese-Canadian artist Matthew Wong’s distinctly alluring aesthetic at the East Village gallery, KARMA, back in 2018. The rich colors and mesmerizing markings that characterized this self-taught artist’s paintings captivated me. His current exhibition, Footprints in the Wind, Ink Drawings 2013-2017, on view through September 3 at Cheim & Read, presents 24 ink drawings on rice paper. Though devoid of color, these early works — also largely inspired by the natural world — intrigue with a mysterious, pulsating beauty, as they fuse both Eastern and Western sensibilities. Featured above is “The Performance,” fashioned in 2017 with ink on rice paper. Several more images on view follow:
Snowfall, 2015
Winter, 2016
The Watcher, 2017
Two Flowers, 2016
Untitled, 2015
Located at 547 West 25th Street in the heart of Chelsea’s gallery districy, Cheim & Read is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Photos of images by Lois Stavsky
