MIQFF 2025 Artist in Focus: Ix Wong

Ix Wong, born in 1974 in Malaysia, is a choreographer, dancer, and costume designer known for his evocative exploration of queer identity through movement. A graduate of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Wong began his career as a dancer with the Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Company before co-founding the contemporary dance group Ah Hock and Peng Yu with his partner, Singaporean dancer Aaron Khek Ah Hock. Together, they co-created numerous works, including Excessive Space-Constricted Space (2002) and Peng Yu (2004). Their creative partnership was tragically cut short when Wong was diagnosed with HIV and later lost Khek to cancer. Despite these challenges, Wong has continued to create deeply personal and innovative art, including collaborations with directors Glen Goei, Christopher Doyle, and Gavin Yap on films such as Always Together Forever Apart (2014) and The Smiling Tiger (2016).

Wong’s work embodies resilience and the transformative power of art, using the body to express love, grief, and rebirth. His poignant artistic journey, marked by personal loss and profound creativity, has redefined contemporary dance as a medium for queer expression. This year, the Macao International Queer Film Festival honors Wong by showcasing four of his dance films, highlighting his ability to use movement as a vessel for exploring the beauty and strength of queer life.