Modern Art Gallery
現代畫廊
since 1982

Harmony of Diverse Arts: Joseph Chak Wong's Artistic Creations and Cross-boundary Mastery

中文

When delving into Joseph Wang's artistic endeavors, it is imperative to acknowledge his remarkable prowess across diverse creative domains and his profound artistic acumen. Throughout his formative years, his interactions with his father, Wang Jiaxi (1925-2017), who authored the "Old Master Q" comics under the pen name of his eldest son, Joseph Wang, bestowed upon him a rich wellspring of imagination and artistic inspiration. Joseph initially immersed himself in the realm of architecture, pursuing a master's degree at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, laying a robust groundwork for over 30 years of dedication to the field. During this extensive period, he delivered lectures, showcased creations, and actively engaged in architectural discourse on a global scale, underscoring his fervent passion and extensive knowledge in the realm of cross-disciplinary creation.

In 1995, Professor Joseph Wang, an architectural scholar and artist who was awarded a tenured teaching position in the Department of Architecture of the University of the Art in Philadelphia, decided to come to Taiwan to start a comic studio and licensing company when he saw that his father was getting old. While cultivating talents in Taiwan's universities, he continued the creation of "Old Master Q" comics, devoted himself to sorting out the publishing affairs, and created a new career direction. Since the release of the "Old Master Q" booklet in 1964, it has accompanied generations of readers and has become a classic of Chinese comics. Also the world’s first Chinese comics to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2008. In 2018, the original manuscripts of two generations of "Old Master Q" were auctioned at Sotheby’s. The original manuscript of the first generation of Wang Ze’s black and white cover comics “Rock and Roll Old Master Q” was auctioned online, refreshing the auction of “Old Master Q” According to records, the nine works of the Joseph were all sold out on the opening day, causing a sensation in the Chinese comic circle.

"Old Master Q", which leads the trend, depicts various life styles of civilians, and collective joyful memories, after Professor Joseph took over, has continued to try to extend the Old Master Q to various arts. For example, in recent years, he has chosen to use acrylic as the main medium, liberating the Old Master Q from the framework of comics, and introducing a new visual realm in the form of the main body. And take Old Master Q as a symbolic element, using colorful colors and reorganized forms to create a joyful and interesting visual effect. These works skillfully integrated his architectural background and the conservation of music and art, presenting a unique artistic style.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, Joseph not only participated in architectural design and planning, but also used abstract techniques to create a large number of two-dimensional and three-dimensional installation works in the architectural field. Among them, in 1998, he participated in the World Architecture Expo held by the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art in Japan for three years. Exhibition - Exhibition of Modern Architects, the works were collected by the museum, and then participated in the architectural exhibition of TOTAL Museum of Contemporary Art in Korea in 1999. Joseph's works present the poetic concept of time and space in architectural fantasy, and now he continues to create acrylic paintings with the humorous and lively elements of comics. The world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind and Joseph Wang are both mentors and friends. In the preface to he’s solo exhibition album (1990), Libeskind wrote: Joseph is the leader of this new era. An important and miraculous architect, artist and thinker here.

Joseph Wang's works have repeatedly made breakthroughs. He explores multiple aspects and not limited to a single style. He forms the theme character Old Master Q in the use of color and modeling techniques. The artistic conception and interest of the painting are unique. He transformed the characters in the "Old Master Q" comics into colorful and changeable artistic images, which not only endowed the works with potential collection value, but also brought viewers a unique visual experience. This makes his works not only loved by the Chinese circle, but also show incomparable charm on the international stage.

Good Times Ahead by Wong, Joseph Chak | 好時光在眼前 - 王澤個展