Born in 1942 in Singapore, New York/Singapore-based artist Wong Keen’s art training began under Liu Kang and advanced under Chen Wen Hsi’s mentoring. In 1961 Wong left to study at The Art Students League, New York, and in 1963 received the League’s prestigious Edward G. McDowell Travelling Scholarship to travel and study in Europe. At the time Wong created his ‘Formation’ series, he had only been back in Singapore for a relatively short period after spending more than 30 years in New York. Although he always strived to create a visual language that merges his Asian philosophy and aesthetics with his Western art training, a developmental shift is inevitable for any artist when major changes occur in their life. Between ‘Formation I’, ‘Formation Series IV’ and ‘Formation Series VI’ the stylistic variations are most noticeable in Wong’s use of medium and colour, and in the execution of his mark-making.
