English
I am Dans Wong (Ziwen Wang), and my work revolves around the themes of time, repetition and order. I was diagnosed with autism in childhood, and during that time I developed a strong fascination with clocks. By observing clocks and reflecting on time, I gradually formed my own way of understanding the world—one that is closely tied to the repetitive tendencies of autism.
I began my artistic journey with printmaking. The reproducibility of this medium allowed me to explore the relationship between repetition and difference. For me, repetition is not just doing the same thing again and again—it is a way of venturing into the unknown. I try to discover new possibilities within simple forms, and over time I expanded beyond printmaking to painting, installations, and performance art, broadening the range of my practice.
My reflections on time also extend to structured formats such as calendars, class schedules, and timetables. I am interested in how these frameworks reveal the rhythm and order of time. To me, time is not merely a tool for measurement and record-keeping, but something deeply intertwined with repetition and everyday experience.
In my work, “stars” symbolize the autistic community—individuals who shine within society yet are often difficult to fully understand. “Grids” represent the institutionalized structures of time and regulation, which quietly shape behavior and daily rhythms. From these two ideas, I explore how personal experience is organized, adjusted, or brought into friction within systemic frameworks. Each brushstroke, each table I construct, and each intervention in time is my way of exploring the relationship between myself and social order—sometimes aligning and coordinating, other times resisting and reconstructing.
With a sharp and personal perspective, I bring together lived experience, philosophical thought, and artistic language. Through repetition, I search for new possibilities; through difference, I uncover unique values. In doing so, I have built a worldview that centers on time, repetition, and the perception of systemic structures.