By: Meagan Meehan, Originally Published September 9, 2016 on AXS.com
Artist Megan Vun Wong is a painter who is the recipient of a number of Canadian Council Arts Grants. She holds a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from York University and has been creating abstract expressionistic paintings for over twenty-five years. Having been interested in art since early childhood, Megan’s mother strongly supported her artistic pursuits. “I always marveled at art that looked so real,” Megan said in a recent interview. “The flowers on birthday cards, the snow on the trees at Christmas, the animals on nature cards; I guess it’s ironic that that I gravitated toward the abstract. My favorite artists are Wassily Kandinsky and Jack Shadbolt.”
Megan describes her work as “philosophical” in an abstract-expressionistic style that is open to interpretation. “I believe that my life itself, whatever surrounds me, is what inspires the depth and breadth of my work,” she explained. Megan’s work garnered attention from commercial galleries that eagerly represented her. “It’s important to have your work in a gallery that promotes your kind of work,” Megan said. “I am an independent artist now. There are pros and cons on both sides of the coin but I’ve found that with hard work and consistent persistence, going alone has its advantages.”
An artist who began working primarily with acrylics, Megan now uses enamel paint in her work. Referring to the medium, Megan declared: “I was wowed by its vibrancy, its glossiness, its dynamism, its sexy, seductive quality. It seemed to have a mind of its own as it left its vessel and meandered across the canvas. At first I used the enamel paint just as accents on my acrylic canvasses. I enjoyed them so much I thought entire canvasses of enamel would be glorious! And so it became to be. Now I use enamel paint on plexiglass – a wonderful discovery as I layer the plexi pieces which have been painted and cut into varying shapes and by doing so, the lines, shapes and shadows from one piece are reflected onto the other and attribute to the transparent character of the plexiglass. I also want to try welding soon.” Megan admits that seeing people respond positively to her work is the most rewarding part of being an artist and it makes the often difficult job worthwhile. “I tell aspiring artists that there will be times of struggle and times of self-doubt but if you truly believe in your art then pursue it with passion and perseverance,” she said. “Also, surround yourself with people who support you and your work. Go forward with optimism and positivity.”
Megan is currently very busy; she is part of an international group exhibit at Galerie Thuillier (13 Rue de Thorigny) in Paris, France, that will run from Sept. 16 to Sept. 29 and is open every day from 1pm to 7pm. Moreover, the Artifact Gallery in New York is scheduled to host a solo show of her work in November of 2017. To learn more, visit her official website, Facebookand Instagram.