Restless by Nature: Mary Sui Yee Wong, 1990s to the present

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Mary Sui Yee Wong, “Well Wishers,” 1992

printed acetate sheets, cotton towels (installation detail) (courtesy of the Artist)

Restless by Nature: Mary Sui Yee Wong, 1990s to the present gives audiences a rare opportunity to discover the Montréal-based artist’s under-recognized practice, bringing together a selection of works, some of which were presented in alternative spaces, ephemeral platforms, shown but once, performance-based, and/or documented insufficiently.

Born in Hong Kong in 1956, Wong immigrated to Canada in 1963, growing up in Vancouver’s Chinatown and moving to Montréal in 1988. Majoring in sculpture, Wong earned her BFA in 1991 and MFA in 2003 from Concordia University, where she currently teaches. Her works were exhibited in Montréal and Vancouver in the 1990s and 2000s, but have been shown less frequently since the 2010s. Wong is known for her activism within Montréal’s Chinese Canadian community, her mentorship of numerous artists of the Asian diaspora and students, and her active role in Montréal’s artist-run scene during the late 90s to the mid-2010s.

Reflecting Wong’s varied practice, this survey exhibition showcases sculpture, photographs, video, costume, a public artwork, and culminates with a new performance-based work. Many of the revisited works have been updated or rendered site-specific for Richmond Art Gallery. The exhibition underscores Wong’s engagement with personal memory, cultural history, familial legacy, Orientalism, and anti-Asian sentiment within Canada. Archival materials including catalogues, magazines, and personal photographs offer insight into her underappreciated artistic practice and labour as mother, mentor, and community advocate.