Chong Boon Pok

Born 1964 in Malaysia but grandparents were from the province of Chaozhou in China, Chong Boon Pok is a graphic designer turned fine artist. He was awarded the Owen Rowley Prize in 2001, and has been exhibiting his works in the UK, Italy, Malaysia and China. Currently a PhD research student at the London Metropolitan University making a comparative study on the concepts of the everyday in art practice and Zen Buddhism practice, Pok finds himself interestingly trapped between the roots of his childhood memories, Malaysia’s Chinese-ness, and the influence of his journey to the West. His art practice is based on a simple mindset where he sees the necessity to devote attentiveness to the everyday objects and situations. His work may be seen as the result of his combined interest on the everyday and Eastern thoughts. Pok’s produced a body of cross-disciplinary work explores the as-it-is-ness of things, and interconnectedness between objects and people, where his cultural background and life experience are often revisited, examined, and evidenced in the works within his exploration.