2024 Fire Horse Award Celebrates Interdisciplinary Media Artist Paul Wong
Written by Fête Chinoise Editorial Team
Images Provided by Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
In the past Asian Heritage Month, Reel Asian has held its third annual Fire Horse Award Luncheon & Fundraiser, celebrating the interdisciplinary media artist Pual Wong.
The Fire Horse Award, intoduced in 2021, honours an Asian Canadian Individual every year for his or her extraordinary contribution to the film and media arts community. Named after the festival’s founder, Anita Lee, the award serves as a tribute to trailblazers in the Asian Canadian media arts or screen-based industries who have demonstrated leadership, excellence and innovation in their own work, while inspiring and invigorating the Asian Canadian media arts ecosystem through mentorship, volunteerism or other forms of community service.
Based in Vancouver, Paul Wong is an interdisciplinary visual and media artist who has devoted himself to arts for over five decades. He is a trailblazer known for pionnery early visual and media art in Canada, and help to push the development of the art community and landsape by founding several artist-run groups, including the Satellite Video Exchange Society (now VIVO Media Arts Centre) and A-Space Video (now Charles Street Video). He is active in organising numberous exhibitions, events, festivals, conferences, and public interventions. Among his pivotal exhibitiosn are Yellow Peril: Reconsidered, Five Octave Range, and Occupying Chinatown. He is also the the artistic director and curator of On Main Gallery (On The Cutting Edge Productions Society), where he has facilitated hundreds of artists projects. He remains an inspiration for future generations of artist to push boundaries and create with vision and passion.
“It has been an adventure of detours, setbacks, and incredible successes. Above all, it has been a journey of connections with others building communities. I am grateful to the village of creatives I have worked with. Thank you for the trust to just say yes to my madness.
This award is a recognition of the importance of experimental art. Art that challenges norms pushes boundaries and invites viewers to see the world through a different lens. May we continue to evolve, to take risks, embrace the unknown, and forge new paths together.”
Paul was nominated by esteemed figures in the arts community, including VTape founders Kim Tomczak and Lisa Steele, and Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson.
The third annual Awards Ceremony and Fundraiser was held on May 23rd at the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto. The luncheon was hosted by Canadian TV personality, author, and Etalk senior correspondent, Lainey Lui, a dear friend of Fête Chinoise.
Notable attendees of the ceremony included Mayor Olivia Chow, the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, comdian and actress Ann Pornel, Just Regin, Andrew Phung, Tiffany Hsiung, among others. Their presence underscord the importance of celebrating Asian Canadian contributions to the arts!
Bringing popular cultural foods and beverages to market in a place as culturally diverse as Canada is an enriching journey for entrepreneurs and consumers. We continue to hone in on bubble tea with another innovator and industry leader that has brought a drink that a majority of our readers are bound to have tried. Drawing on his experience of introducing Chatime to Canada 13 years ago and overseeing its growth ever since, Kenton knows firsthand that the bubble tea market is highly competitive, with new brands constantly emerging. Staying authentic, high-quality, and offering customizable options are key.