Hailing from Malaysia’s advertising industry, Seri Kembangan-born Wong was chalking up work experience at Leo Burnett (All photos: Ken Wong)
"Fast and furious” best describes Ken Wong’s initial introduction to Shanghai, undoubtedly China’s biggest city and a global financial hub. Perched on the country’s central coast, Shanghai is defined by many elements: its historic past as evinced by the beautiful waterfront promenade known as the Bund; a space-age future as exemplified by the shiny skyscrapers that loom across the Huangpu River; and an incredible depth of richness when it comes to art, music and culture. “I arrived in Shanghai in February 2012,” says Wong. “I was definitely not used to the city initially. The Chinese I spoke was not very orthodox and the local culture and communication methods were completely new to me.”
Once he had adjusted, Wong began to enjoy the city’s fast pace. “It almost feels as if I see changes in Shanghai week on week and things are moving faster than ever, like how the entire environment is constantly evolving for the better. Despite living in an era of intense competition, young people are becoming increasingly innovative, with a willingness to express their true selves.”
With that in mind, Wong says few cities offer such huge platforms and opportunities, especially for those in the artistic or creative fields, as Shanghai does. “Here, people are quite accepting, which gives us the licence to play … and play crazier,” he laughs.
Hailing from Malaysia’s advertising industry, Seri Kembangan-born Wong was chalking up work experience at Leo Burnett. Yasmin Ahmad, its legendary creative director and his boss then, was the person he “admired most in the company. However, after her untimely passing, I felt like I had no direction anymore. It was around this time that I received a job opportunity from Shanghai, which came to me by way of my former employer, Kien, at Saatchi & Saatchi, the first ad agency I was with”. Despite not giving it much thought initially, Wong eventually decided to take the plunge, leaving his beloved hometown — “I love Serdang so much,” he says enthusiastically — to start anew in another country.
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On switching from advertising to art, Wong talks about how the relentless pace discouraged him. “I love a fast rhythm, don’t get me wrong. But I see how people in the advertising industry seem to be stagnant, just working behind closed doors to complete their work day after day, without having time to see what is happening outside. To me, it is like being in a pool of stagnant water. You need time and space to produce good work. So, I have swapped that pool for the ocean, if you will. Yes, I left my comfort zone, but to pursue my dreams. Besides, I am basing this on my personal experience and do not speak for everyone.”
Citing his childhood as simple yet wonderful, speaking Hakka and enjoying all the amazing local food his locale is known for, Wong says he is proud to be a Seri Kembangan boy and credits his parents for a lot of freedom and trust. “They never pressured me. Of course, I went through a rebellious phase and didn’t do as well as I should have in my studies. This led to a lack of direction when it came to my career path. I knew I wouldn’t be able to work in an office and had started working as an apprentice in my friend’s father’s factory when my mother sat me down.
“She knew I liked drawing and asked whether I wanted to attend art school, an option I never even considered, as I had always imagined the expensive fees would burden my parents. Also, I never dared dream of turning a hobby into a career.”
Wong’s parents duly stepped up, working hard to enable him to enrol at The One Academy, a leading Malaysian private arts and design institute.
Fast forward to 2024, the 40-year-old is a fast-rising star of Shanghai’s vibrant art and urban lifestyle scene and has happily settled down in the city with his wife and young son. His virtual character, christened Hua Bi Laowang or Laowang1102, is gaining popularity. Wong describes the avatar as “he being me and I am him, just living in different worlds … virtual and real life. I completely believe everything in my virtual world exists and Hua Bi Laowang can complete my unfinished dreams there and in a most imaginative way. All I can guarantee is if you get to meet him, you will definitely remember him”.
Wong himself has also participated in several interesting collaborations, including “Earn Your Stripes” with Adidas, a creative sharing platform set up by the German sportswear company with superstar Edison Chen. “In October next year, I will once again be working with Edison and Adidas to present new works, alongside other outstanding Chinese candidates. I am in the midst of preparing for a personal exhibition of paintings in Shanghai this summer as well as another important project in Malaysia, which will be presented using F&B as an avenue. I am very excited and hope to come back home to meet and share the news with everyone.”
As a Malaysian enjoying a robust career in China, he has this to say about the two countries’ golden jubilee of friendship and diplomatic ties: “Both nations [are just becoming] better and better, and acknowledging this milestone is a good exchange of vision and economics. I hope more Chinese can get to know and understand Malaysia better, and vice versa, giving both sides more opportunities to develop and learn from each other. If you come to Shanghai, like I did, you need to get up to date with tech, as the city is definitely living in the digital era. A good mobile phone is a must, learn a bit of the local language and, most of all, download and familiarise yourself with all the main apps, such as WeChat, DidiTaxi, Dianping and Taobao. You will need all these and more to function.
“I feel I have a very traditional, step-by-step approach to work and will continue to [push myself] hard. I don’t take shortcuts or apply clever tricks to complete my work. I don’t often listen to other people’s opinions either. Only I know what is best for me. What I can tell you is, every time I start a new project, I turn myself into a hypothetical blank piece of paper and add colour to it all over again.”
This article first appeared on June 24, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia's 'Loong Report', which commemorates 50 years of Malaysia-China relations.
