Through our editorial platform, we hope to share our discoveries with the creative community to inspire, inform, and provide a platform for the next world-changing idea to take root.
.png)
Frog King, one of Hong Kong’s most flamboyant artists, can be spotted from a mile away. What the artist calls a “Live Body Installation,” is a striking collage-work of black, red and white clothes, a sculptural hat stretching 3 feet, a white wig, hundreds of DIY accessories and a cape emblazoned with “Happy Froggy” artwork. A bit of graffiti. A bit of Chinese opera. His maximalist outfit is but a reflection of his larger-than-life personality and influence over Hong Kong’s contemporary art. Stepping into view is Kwok Man Ho, the man who summoned his iconic alter ego for this interview.
“Art is Frog."
Tucked away next to a small factory on the outskirts of Yuen Long lies Frog King and, his wife, Frog Queen’s humble home. Ideas for art and philosophy float up in this quiet countryside suburbia where much of his work begins. He’s converted half his home into a studio. Though he’s 74, he has the tenacity of a young artist, bolstered by his immense wisdom and philosophy.
But Frog King wasn’t always accepted in the art world.
“In the ‘70s, the art scene didn’t really like me. I always went out and made a mess of everything. They always wanted to kick me out. Now, people want more Frog King,” says the artist.
Frog King’s legacy was built as an outsider, and it’s only recently the community came to appreciate his eccentricity. His works are currently filling up galleries and exhibitions around the world as demand for his works rise more than ever before. When he’s not in his studio, he’s tending to his frogs and spending time with his wife at home. We met with Frog King at his off-the-grid home to discuss his extraordinary life and expansive body of work.
This is the efficiency corner.
Breathing. Living. Being.
When I gave myself the name “Frog King Kwok,” there were quite a bit of similar-sounding accounts floating around on YouTube. After being in the art scene for some time, I eventually trademarked "Frog King" and developed this "Happy Froggy" logo.
Can you describe your childhood and where you grew up?
My father worked at harbor customs along the border of Mainland China. The Chiang Kai-shek period. My father studied English in Hong Kong. He applied for a job at the China harbor customs and worked his way up to become a leader. I call him “General of the Harbor.” My mother is also from Hong Kong. I don't know how they met each other. We all lived in Hainan for just a few years, not entirely sure for how long. I grew up there until I was 4 years old and then we moved to Hong Kong because my father died. He was 51, I was 5.
As a kid I remember swimming in lakes, fishing, climbing, flying kites, catching insects. Those times were simple. I remember one time I climbed up on a cow. Maybe I was 7. The cow flipped me off and I fell into the mud.
I lived in New York City from ‘82 to '95. Then I moved back to Hong Kong because my mother was getting very old. I've been in Hong Kong since then. Frog Queen moved to Hong Kong in '95.
Where’s Frog Queen?
She is in Korea now. I miss her. I’ve been married to my Korean wife Frog Queen for over 20 years, but she complains, "how come I don't speak Korean very well?"
You have a lot of work to show art students.
Nine million works. I'm working on making nine million.
You've made 9 million artworks?
I'm working on it. That's my goal. Nine million.
What?
Nine million is “infinity.” Not 10 million, 9 million. Nine million is not a big number nowadays. Nine million is a philosophy.
The process is more important than the final product?
Yes, correct. Art is frog.
Why Frog?
A frog is a jumping, dancing, energetic and productive figure that brings happiness to the world.
Were you always drawing from a young age?
Not really drawing, but I did calligraphy instead of drawing. Nowadays my writing has been mixed with art. I draw calligraphy. I don't write calligraphy, I draw it. That's why you see so many changeable images in my writing.
Did you have a mentor in your life?
Yeah later on. I think Liu Shou Kwan pretty much turned into my father. The father of the Ink movement in Hong Kong. He influenced me a great deal. When he couldn't teach anymore, he gave me a collection of his taped lessons and I brought them with me to New York City and studied.
What was in those tapes?
History, philosophy, Buddhist, Taoist and many other important things.
“I came from space 9 billion years ago and put together images and drawings. Spring, summer, autumn, winter, we can make a composition.”
Your work is very playful. Was Lui Shou-Kwan a playful person?
No. He's not playful. He's very serious. He scolded me many times in class. Looking back, I feel he was very concerned about me. My other classmates were probably only scolded once in a while, but I was scolded constantly. Not easy. Every time he scolded me because I didn't listen to him and did very experimental things.
What made you want to go into writing and calligraphy?
It's my flesh and blood, like chopsticks. I combine Asian and Western elements, which creates many different possibilities of writing.
“My drawing is related to calligraphy. I imagine it coming from out of space. I'm an alien. I came from space 9 billion years ago and put together images and drawings.”
Spring, summer, autumn, winter, we can make a composition. Patient is prosperity. Space and earth are the same. This is the sandwich. There's also some '80s-inspired graffiti.
What’s a "sandwich font?"
A sandwich is something that you put together with a top and bottom — put together different languages and different cultures for a new font. This is the happy froggy logo. It's also a sailboat that looks West. Also a cross-cultural bridge.
What about the fire sculpture?
Fire, one of the elements of nature. I used fire to create a sculpture. I made it in '78 in Hong Kong.
Three years before that, 1975, I made another piece using burned plastic, wood and bones. It was the earliest sculpture I made. Public art. I burned a big stack of cow bones with horns and heads. Then I brought it into the Hong Kong museum and spread it all over the floor. I won the sculpture prize with this work as part of Hong Kong's first urban council biennale.
Why did you use cow bones?
I wanted to use special materials. Usually museums play it safe by using dry materials like steel. Cow bones have oil, blood and flesh — materiality that challenge what's familiar. There are some Taoist themes in this work.
What do you think is the most important thing you learned?
Honesty, self-discipline and purity. You have to be pure. It's not about society. Society is rough and dirty. But we're born into this world like the Lotus flower. We come up from the mud all green and pure. That's Taoism and Buddhism. I was a Christian and my mother was a Christian. Eventually,
What’s one piece advice you would give to the younger generation today?
If you do something, you have to get in very deep, otherwise you cannot exist. You have to dig in. There's no other choice. I always say to my students, "creating something is good, not creating something is good." My students get confused sometimes — "what does that mean?" I tell them. Go and find out.
What does that mean?
I think it is an experience. Being confused makes you think.
Many people say art is the pursuit of truth. What do you think about this?
Different generation, different politics, different life and environment. What is the real truth? To continue searching for truth is the truth: the pursuit of truth. My teacher Liu Shou Kwan said, “truth is the pursuit of truth.” My theory is: don’t know where to start, don’t know where to end. Open the Froggy mouth, don’t know what to say, just keep opening the froggy mouth. No answer. Just continue. In the ‘70s, the art scene didn’t really like me. I always went out and made a mess of everything. They always wanted to kick me out. After 30 - 50 years later, however, they want more Frog King.
Challenging the rules.
Yeah. It is not easy to do.
Do you think there are any rules in life?
That’s something people need to find out for themselves, independently.
Metal – Wind
Wood – Squid
Water – Banana tree
Fire – More fire
Earth – Breathing
Frog – Jump
Black – White
Youth – Heaven
Our Monday digest of trending topics, case studies and exclusive interviews. Don't worry, we don’t spam.
%20(2).png)