Wesley Tongson, a Hong Kong-born ink painter, is best known for his vibrant splash landscape paintings. Diagnosed with schizophrenia at 15, he began formal painting studies in 1974 when he enrolled at the Hong Kong International School. In 1977, he moved to Toronto, where he combined formal Western painting studies at the Ontario College of Art with learning from renowned ink painter Madame Koo Tsin-yaw (1896-1978). This ignited his self-exploration of splash ink techniques pioneered by the modern Chinese master, Zhang Daqian. Returning to Hong Kong in 1981, Tongson continued his Chinese painting practice under the painter Harold Wong (1943-2022). In the late 1990s, Tongson fully immersed himself in the creation of splash ink and colour paintings, emphasizing the pure state of mind influenced by Zen meditations. In 2001, he began experimenting with "finger painting," and by 2009, he completely abandoned the paint brush by directly expressing his visions on paper with his fingers only. His artworks depict a serene, luminous, and pure natural world, transcending the boundaries of traditional landscapes.
Tongson's major solo exhibitions include Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley; Pacific Asia Museum, University of Southern California, Pasadena; Chinese Culture Center, San Francisco, USA; Godfrey Far Eastern Art, London, UK; University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Arts Centre; Hong Kong American Club, and Art Gallery of Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong. Art fairs that he has participated in include Art Basel Hong Kong, Fine Art Asia, and Ink Asia. Currently his works are on view at M+ as part of the group exhibition, titled Shanshui: Echoes and Signals, and was at Asian Art Museum in San Francisco in the exhibition Into View: New Voices, New Stories in 2024.
His works are included in museum and private collections such as the Pacific Asia Museum of the University of Southern California, Pasadena; the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, USA; M+, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Museum of Art, as well as the MK Lau Collection in Hong Kong.
2022
2020
Mountain Taoist, University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2018
Wesley Tongson: The Journey, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
2017
Wesley's Heaven, D3E Art, Hong Kong
Breakthrough: by Wesley Tongson's Rules, Ink Asia, Hong Kong
2016
The House of Ka-Wesley Tongson, Ink Asia, Hong Kong
Wesley Tongson: Solo Exhibition in Beijing, Pékin Fine Arts, Beijing, China
2014
Ink Explorations: A Wesley Tongson Retrospective, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1995
Wesley Tongson: 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
Godfrey Far Eastern Art, London, UK
Hong Kong American Club, Hong Kong
Mandarin Oriental Fine Arts, Hong Kong
1994
The Vibrant Land, Artpreciation Gallery, Hong Kong
1993
Mountains of Heaven: Modern Chinese Paintings by Tong Ka Wai, Pacific Asia Museum, University of Southern California, Pasadena, USA
1992
Mountains of Heaven: Modern Chinese Paintings by Wesley Tongson, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1991
Dancing Colours: Paintings by Wesley Tongson, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1990
Solo Exhibition Sponsored by the Hong Kong Urban Council, Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, Hong Kong
1989
The Exhibition of Wesley Tongson, Hanart TZ Gallery, Hong Kong
1988
Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1986
Galerie du Monde, Hong Kong
1985
Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
2024-2025
Shanshui: Echoes and Signals, M+, Hong Kong
2024
Themes and Variations, Alisan Fine Arts-New York Gallery, New York, USA
2019
Ink Asia, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
2017
Lui Shou-Kwan & Wesley Tongson: Fine Art Asia, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
2016
2015
Hong Kong Arts Centre Fundraiser Preview, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1995
Art Asia, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
1994
New Trends: Art Hong Kong, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
1988
Modern Chinese Paintings by Five Artists, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
1987
Contemporary Hong Kong Art Biennial Exhibition, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
