Frog King
Exhibited Artist
Frog King (Kwok Mang-ho) (born 1947) is one of Hong Kong's most representative and dynamic artists.
A pioneering conceptual and performance artist, he has been pushing the boundaries of Hong Kong and beyond. In his early years, Frog King studied ink painting and calligraphy under the New Ink Master Lui Shou-kwan, becoming one of the contemporary artists who integrated ink painting into multimedia installations and performance art. Frog King uniquely blends Eastern and Western philosophies, religions, and concepts. His works reveal a multifaceted mix of traditional study results, bringing a fresh perspective to contemporary art. Inspired by his surroundings, Frog King's creation and performance are not constrained by art forms; the audience, the artist, the artwork, and daily life are integrated. Frog King adheres to the philosophy that “art is life, life is art,” using everything as raw material: dialogue, menus, photographs, events, various districts of Hong Kong, and even endless comedic idioms whose meaning is lost in translation.
Since the 1960s, Frog King has exhibited his work and performances at over 5,000 art events worldwide, including a solo exhibition at the Hong Kong Pavilion of the 54th Venice Biennale. His “Plastic Bag Project” at the Great Wall of China in 1979 is considered one of the earliest contemporary performance art pieces to appear in China. Frog King has received numerous international awards, and his works are widely collected by museums, foundations, and private collectors. Each of his works embodies the frogtopia he conceptually constructs.
In 2025, he opened up his studio to public at Cattle Depot, Hong Kong to actualise his concept of frogtopia with an art and culture space “frogTOPIA open” to welcome all kinds of artistic possibilities.
