LONDON.- Wong Ping has been announced as the recipient of the inaugural Camden Arts Centre Emerging Arts Prize at Frieze. Ping, who is represented by Eduoard Malingue (Shanghai/Hong Kong) will realise a major exhibition at Camden Arts Centre within the next 18 months.

This major new annual prize offers an emerging artist vital critical exposure through their first solo show at a London institution. The prize winner will be supported by the experienced Camden Arts Centre curatorial team, and the exhibition will be underpinned by an extensive programme of public talks and events.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Wong Ping (b. 1984) is one of the city’s most exciting emerging artists. His animation work explores the concept of control or limitation, looking to notions of repressed sexuality, personal sentiments and political limitations. His visual language sits on the border of shocking and amusing, incorporating flashing, pop-like imagery, visual and auditory narrations.

Through the rawness that Ping’s work exudes comes a sense of desire and his darkly twisted works are strangely comforting in the way they appeal to our deepest and most private sentiments – things we feel, yet rarely share. Ping’s work is liberating and perversely honest – a cathartic twist on the trials of daily life.

Ping’s animations have been commissioned by M+, NOWNESS and Prada and he is the only artist from Hong Kong to be represented in the New Museum Triennial ‘Songs of Sabotage’ (New York) earlier this year. Ping’s work, whilst highly localised, speaks to an international audience.

Wong Ping is being presented by Edouard Malingue Gallery (Hong Kong) in an immersive installation ‘Fables’ at Frieze London 2018 – a new series of behavioural insights in multiple parts, providing an engaging panorama of societal tendencies and contemplations. However, the awarding of the Emerging Artist Prize is not based purely on stand presentation at the fair. The panel undertook in depth research into each artist featured in the Focus section, taking in to account the breadth of their work and previous exhibitions.

Ping was selected from the 33 solo and curated gallery presentations which comprise the Focus section at Frieze London, the fair’s celebrated section featuring galleries ages 12 years or younger. The 2018 edition of Focus is advised by Andrew Bonacina (Hepworth, Wakefield) and Laura McLean-Ferris (Swiss Institute, New York) and presents ambitious projects by emerging artists from across the world.

The Prize was selected by a panel chaired by Martin Clark, (Director, Camden Art Centre), with Gina Buenfeld, Sophie Williamson (both Programme Curators, Exhibitions, Camden Art Centre) and Joe Hill (Director, Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne). A group of UK and international patrons, who share an interest in supporting the work of emerging artists and the economy of younger galleries, have generously supported the Prize.

For over 25 years Camden Art Centre has been committed to supporting and nurturing artists in the formative stages of their careers. The Camden Arts Centre Emerging Artist Prize continues this work, building on the gallery’s previous collaborations with artists including Emma Hart, Christian Nyampeta, Ruth Ewan, Jennifer Tee and Haroon Mirza.