A major exhibition of rarely seen works by the late Chinese-Canadian artist Matthew Wong will open at the Palazzo Tiepolo Passi in Venice from 9 May to 1 November 2025, coinciding with the 61st Venice Biennale. The show features 35 works dating from 2015 to 2019, curated by John Cheim of Cheim & Read gallery, and is organized by the Matthew Wong Foundation, founded by the artist's parents Monita Wong and Raymond KP Wong after his death by suicide in 2019. The exhibition catalogue includes a text by Nancy Spector, former chief curator of the Guggenheim Museum.
This exhibition matters because it deepens the posthumous recognition of Matthew Wong, a self-taught painter whose vibrant landscapes and interiors gained critical acclaim just before his death. The show's focus on interiors—both physical and psychological—connects Wong's work to modernist traditions while highlighting his unique visual language. It also signals the growing institutional activity of the Matthew Wong Foundation, which recently opened a headquarters in Edmonton and is producing a catalogue raisonné, ensuring Wong's legacy continues to be studied and celebrated.