b. 1960 in Malaysia
Wong Hoy-Cheong is a member of the first Post-Independence generation of artists from Malaysia. Hoy-Cheong studied abroad, returning from the USA in the 1980s with a BA in English Literature from Brandeis University, an MA in Education from Harvard and an MA in Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Working in a wide range of media, Hoy-Cheong addresses concerns and ideas about identity, location, globalisation, and colonialism, using popular genre conventions, as well as the allure of unusual materials. He has always sought to disturb our sense of security, reminding us of the slippery surface that lies between fact and fiction, past and present, and the perpetual reinvention of our own histories. International acclaim notwithstanding, he has been a vital part of the Malaysian arts community, as educator, curator, critic/writer and artist. In 2004, a major retrospective of his work, spanning the last 20 years, was held at the National Art Gallery of Malaysia. In 2004 he participated in the Liverpool Biennial and Ethnic Marketing, Centre for Contemporary Art, Geneva. In 2003 Hoy-Cheong presented work in Dreams and Conflicts (Z.U.O. and Utopia Station), 50th Venice Biennale.
He currently divides his time between Kuala Lumpur and his studio at Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor.