“Frog King” Kwok Mang-ho
An eccentric character in the local arts scene, “Frog King” Kwok Mang-ho is known for his love of the amphibian species, and frequently uses frogs as a motif in his works. He is also often seen in a dramatic get-up that consists of plenty of frog-themed accessories. Having represented Hong Kong at the Venice Biennale in 2011—the exhibits from which are now on display in Hong Kong—Frog King chats to Andrea Lo about his art, inspirations and worldview.
My mother had high regard for Confucian philosophies. I had strong influences from that. I was also brought up the old-fashioned way, where punishing children physically was the norm. I am very tough-skinned. I didn’t cry when I was hit with a feather duster. Whether this made me the way I am today—crazy and going against normal rules—remains unknown.
When I moved to New York City, I was on the streets doing calligraphy and only earned a few dollars at a time. I didn’t have a work permit so I had to do work like that. I received a dollar for every piece of calligraphy I did, and once I had three dollars I went to get a slice of pizza and a Sprite—and that’s how I carried on surviving.
One is able to challenge oneself to survive when living in extreme conditions. Later on in life, everything becomes easier to manage, and your art doesn’t become affected.
Some artists have never experienced extreme conditions or been on the verge of life or death. They lack immunity from hardships in life. Every time they come close to it they try to commit suicide.
I have received a lot of education and life lessons from my teachers, as well as been influenced by various different artists from around the world. It has been a long learning curve.
Why do I dress like this around town? It’s only natural for me to do this. If I have a work appointment somewhere, it doesn’t make sense for me to [undress and] then get dressed again.