Kong Wee Pang is a creative force who has called Memphis home since 2001. "I'm a little bit of everything," she says with a laugh, and that's exactly what makes her work stand out. Kong Wee moved to the U.S. from Malaysia in 2001 after graduating from the Singapore Nanyang Academy of Fine Art. Since then, she's earned a degree in Fine Art and Design and an MFA from the Memphis College of Art, co-founded the design powerhouse Taropop Studio and left her mark on projects from New York to Spain and her beloved Memphis, a city she calls "great for designers and artists."
Her work — design and illustration, public art and fine art — is anything but predictable. From wrapping the Dixon's van in vibrant, dreamlike patterns to transforming the Brooks Museum patio into a summer wonderland with color- drenched umbrellas, Kong Wee doesn't just make art; she builds sensory-rich experiences. Her Overton Park sequin bird glimmers in the sunlight, while a rabbit sculpture at the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center holds court with a playful yet powerful 700 pound presence.
Kong Wee's fluid style cannot be put into one box — a rebellion against the clean, cold lines of an increasingly digital world. "Not everything has to be perfect. We have to appreciate the imperfections as humans," she says. Her designs pulse with layered textures, bold color and movement, as if the art itself is mid-dance. Take her Wiseacre Brewing Co. 'Mikx Tape' design: a vivid homage to Miami's neon nightlife, complete with cassette tapes, alligators and palm trees — a mashup with
palpable personality.
Public art is where she's flexed her creative muscles and her project management chops since 2014. Her I-40 underpass project, a win from a national competition, proves that art can light up even the most mundane spaces — literally — with LED lights cutting through the darkness. "I like the challenge that public art poses. You are working with and against the elements, creating something to last."
Beyond public art, Kong Wee and her husband (another Memphis College of Art alum) run Taropop Studio in Midtown. Now specializing in design and branding for clients as diverse as Sephora, Hilton, FedEx and St. Jude, their journey started with selling $25 prints from a tiny booth at Cooper-Young Fest. "We never thought we'd start a studio, but here we are," she laughs. "It's crazy to think we went from selling prints on the street to working with global brands."
For Kong Wee, art is a personal evolution. "You have to inject your inner self and emotion to stand apart these days. People change, emotions change. If you force yourself to stay within a certain style, it’s hard to let yourself be refreshed by new inspiration."
“We don’t need to compare. We need to remind ourselves we can create at our own pace. I must ground myself in what’s real to make something new. Compete with yourself because you want to improve!
The fine art is about myself. I’m my own boss, and there’s more emotion. It gives me freedom with commissions because I know they like my work. It’s a way for me to show people how I think. You will find your people who appreciate your work.”