Jiawei Tang

Wesley Tongson (Chinese: 唐家偉 (Tong Ka Wai; pinyin: Tang Jiawei); 1957–2012) He was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 15 and started painting at age 17. From that time until his death, Tongson dedicated himself to exploring various painting techniques with ink, ranging from Chinese brush painting, splash ink painting and eventually, finger painting.

Early years and education

Wesley Tongson received his primary education at the Primary School of St. Paul's Co-educational College in Hong Kong from 1963 to 1969. Afterwards, he went onto the Secondary School of the same college until 1973. In 1973, he briefly attended Brentwood College School in Vancouver, Canada and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He then returned to Hong Kong and continued his secondary education at Hong Kong International School, graduating in 1977. Among Western painters, Tongson admired Pablo Picasso for his cubism movement, which he saw as bringing volume into painting. During the latter half of the 1980s, Tongson's early works were shown in several solo exhibitions and in the 1988 group show "Modern Chinese Paintings by Five Artists" at Hong Kong City Hall. He continued to devote his energies to master this form throughout his life. His transcendent mountainscapes symbolize his commitment to his Zen-based spiritual journey. as in Untitled (Buddhist Theme).

Tongson's work was shown at solo exhibitions in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the United States throughout the 1990s, He also participated in group shows "New Trends – Art Hong Kong" in 1994 and "Art Asia" in 1995. which he used to sign his finger paintings,

Tongson's large scale finger paintings from this period are regarded by Catherine Maudsley, Hong Kong-based art historian and curator, as notable for their sustained energy and cohesiveness. "Wesley Tongson" in Beijing, China in 2016, “Wesley Tongson -The Journey” hosted by Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco in 2018, and "Spiritual Mountains: The Art of Wesley Tongson" at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, California in 2022. Following the exhibition in San Francisco, a book launch and talk on "Wesley Tongson - Journey" was held at Asia Society Hong Kong on 9 July 2019. In October 2019, Tongson was honored with the “Visionary Artist Award” by the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, USA.

Tongson's works are in public and private collections, including:

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, CA, USA; Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, CA, USA; USC Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, CA, USA; M+, Hong Kong. Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong; University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Morgan Stanley Asia Limited, Hong Kong;

Monographs

Spiritual Mountains:The Art of Wesley Tongson (2023) Wesley Tongson - The Journey (2019) ' The Landscape - Modern Chinese Paintings by Tang Jiawei (Wesley Tongson) (1994) Wesley Tongson - The Vibrant Land (1994) Mountains of Heaven - Modern Chinese Paintings by Tong Ka Wai (1993) Mountains of Heaven - Modern Chinese Paintings by Wesley Tongson (1992) Dancing Colours - Paintings by Wesley Tongson (1991) Traditional Paintings by Wesley Tongson'' (1988)

Note: The above publications are collected by Asia Art Archive.