Richmond Art Gallery (RAG) prepares to welcome an important new retrospective Restless by Nature: Mary Sui Yee Wong, 1990s to the present from April 12th to June 8th.
This solo exhibition offers a rare opportunity to explore the breadth and depth of Wong’s under-recognized practice, marking a homecoming for the now Montreal-based multidisciplinary artist who was born in Hong Kong but raised in Vancouver. The exhibition brings together a selection of works spanning sculpture, photography, video, and costume — including rarely seen or little documented pieces — and culminates in a new, performance-based work that speaks to the rise of violent anti-Asian sentiment across North America following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The name is a play on ‘American Apparel’ and the phrase “yellow peril,” the term given for the racist fear that the expansion of power and influence from Asia would be a danger to Western civilization.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the work of Mary Sui Yee Wong in this long overdue retrospective of her work, which was seen on and off in Vancouver and Montreal in the 1990s and 2000s,” says curator Zoë Chan. “She often exhibited in alternative sites or on more ephemeral platforms, so it’s exciting to bring key works from her corpus together in one space. Her importance can equally be felt in her mentorship of Asian diaspora artists, her teaching of numerous students in Concordia University’s Fine Arts program, her work in Montreal’s artist-run-centre scene, and her advocacy in the local Chinese Canadian community. It is truly an honour to be able to present her work to audiences here and I hope this exhibition will generate fresh interest in Wong’s multifaceted practice.”
Wong has a deep interest in materiality and site-specificity, and engages with themes of personal memory, familial legacy, cultural history, and Orientalism. Visitors will see many of the works on display have been updated or rendered site-specific for the Gallery’s space and context.
The RAG installation features a new iteration with objects from Vancouver’s Chinatown.
In Gold Mountain, a new performance-based work, Wong will smash a maquette of a pagoda before covering the resulting mound in gold leaf. The performance explores the visual currency of systemic racism, as driven by a neoliberal economy, spotlighting the danger and destruction experienced by countless members of the Asian community. Wong aims to invoke the act of witnessing by commanding the audience’s attention, while forging something beautiful out of something ugly. The performance shifts from an act of violence to a cathartic, reparative experience.
Reaching beyond the RAG, commuters on the Canada Line will also have the chance to see Wong’s work TREASURE II at the Lansdowne Station, co-presented by the Gallery, City of Richmond Public Art, and Capture Photography Festival. Mixing photographs of the sky with a centuries-old Chinese landscape painting, this poetic work honours two important pillars of Chinese culture: the paintings of times past and the precious elders of the present.
The exhibition is part of the 2025 Capture Photography Festival Selected Exhibition Program and will also include a schedule of other public events and programming including;
Opening Reception with Special Performance
Saturday, April 12: 2–4pm
Join exhibiting artist Mary Sui Yee Wong to launch her exhibition Restless by Nature, featuring a performance by the Vancouver Chinese Choir.
Performance by Mary Sui Yee Wong and Curatorial Tour with Zoë Chan
Tuesday, April 15: 7–8pm
Richmond Cultural Centre Performance Hall
Mary Sui Yee Wong activates her most recent artwork with an intimate live performance followed by a tour of Wong’s exhibition Restless by Nature.
Artist Salon with Mary Sui Yee Wong
Wednesday, May 28: 12–1pm (online)
Learn about the artistic journey of Montreal-based artist Mary Sui Yee Wong in this exclusive online event. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver’s Chinatown, Wong has been a vital force in Montreal’s Chinese Canadian community, mentoring artists of the Asian diaspora and shaping the city’s artist-run scene. She will share insights into her decades-long career, exploring themes of activism, mentorship, and the intersection of art and community. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear her reflections on art, motherhood, and advocacy.
Exhibition Tour in Mandarin
Saturday, May 3: 2–3pm
Drop in for a tour of the current Richmond Art Gallery exhibition in Mandarin. Learn more about the themes of the exhibition through a guided visit and informal discussion over a cup of tea. Limited spaces, RSVP at richmondartgallery.org/upcoming-events.
Doors Open Richmond: Capture Festival Canada Line Walking Tour
Saturday, June 7: 1–3pm
As part of Doors Open Richmond, get an insider’s view to the public art presented on the Canada Line. Capture Photography Festival artists Khim Hipol and Lauraine Mak, Gallery Curator Zoë Chan, and Richmond Public Art Planner Biliana Velkova will take visitors on a walking tour of their public artworks currently installed at Canada Line stations in Richmond. They will discuss the works on display at Capstan, Aberdeen, Lansdowne, and Brighouse stations. The afternoon will culminate at the Richmond Art Gallery for a tea break and curatorial tour of Restless by Nature, a retrospective on Mary Sui Yee Wong, whose work is also featured at Lansdowne Station.
Restless by Nature: Mary Sui Yee Wong, 1990s to the present is on display from April 12 to June 8, 2025 at Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond Cultural Centre, 7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond. Visit the Gallery’s website and social media for the most up-to-date information on upcoming programs and registration at richmondartgallery.org