Dr Fiona Wong E Chiong

Dr Fiona Wong E Chiong

  • Lecturer and Programme Leader
  • for MA in Visual Communication and Media Studies
Department of Art, Design and Media
SDGs Focus

Biography

Dr Fiona Wong E Chiong is a passionate advocate for preserving Malaysia’s cultural heritage, focusing on traditional arts and crafts. She is known for her pioneering PhD research in Wayang Kulit Kelantan puppet design, while her Master’s work delves into 19th- and 20th-century Malayan Chinese shophouse façade designs. She integrates her research passion into her teaching and writing. She actively engages with the community through talks and workshops, particularly in secondary schools and tertiary institutions. Her mission is to pass down this invaluable cultural knowledge to younger generations, so they will be empowered to contribute back to the community and society.

Academic & Professional Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Visual Art (Design), University of Malaya, Malaysia (2021)
  • Master of Art (Visual Arts), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2011)
  • Bachelor of Graphic Design, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand (2000)
  • Diploma in Illustration, Malaysian Institute of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1999)

Research Interests

  • Visual analysis of motif and pattern designs in local traditional or cultural arts and crafts
  • Preservation and conservation of local cultural heritage via arts and crafts
  • Art and design of various Southeast Asian and Asian cultures, arts and heritage
  • Sculpture, functional art, conceptual art, installation art
  • Sustainability of local tangible/intangible cultural arts heritage (with a strong focus on Wayang Kulit Kelantan, Baba Nyonya culture, Sarawakian Dayak culture, Malayan Chinese shophouse façade designs, Kuching built heritage, etc.)

Teaching Areas

  • Graphic Design
  • Illustration
  • Visual Culture
  • Art and Design History
  • Visual Communiction
  • Sustainable Traditions, Cultures and Heritage
  • Sustainable Packaging Design

Courses Taught

  • History of Art and Design
  • Visual Culture and Technology
  • Introduction to Visual Communication
  • Packaging in Graphic Design
  • Creative Thinking
  • Final Year Project
  • History of Graphic Design
  • Introduction to Packaging
  • Graphic Design

Notable Publications

  1. Wong, F. (2023). Preserving Traditional Arts and Crafts. EXPLORE Sunway:
    Spotlight on Research [online] https://sunwayuniversity.edu.my/explore/spotlightonresearch/preserving-traditionalarts-and-crafts 
  2. Wong, F. (2022). The Importance in Preserving Our Cultural Heritage.
    BusinessToday [online] March 12, 2022. https://www.businesstoday.com.my/2022/03/12/93591/ 
  3. Wong, F. (2022). Ways to Safeguard Our Cultural Heritage. EXPLORE Sunway: Spotlight on Research [online]
    https://university.sunway.edu.my/explore/spotlight/Ways-to-Safeguard-Our-Cultural-Heritage 
  4. Wong, F. (2021). Preserving Our Cultural Heritage. Article published in The Edge Malaysia, 14 June 2021, 57.
  5. Wong, F. (2021). A Visual Analysis of the Eclectic Shophouse Façades of
    Malaysia and Its Syncretism of Cultures. Paper presented online at The 6th RSU International Research Conference on Social Science and Humanity, Education, Management, and Arts, Thailand (RSUSOC 2021), Rangsit University, Thailand. Full paper published in the e-proceeding (593-603).
    https://rsucon.rsu.ac.th/proceeding/article/2927 
  6. Wong, F., Badil Zaman B. Z. H. (2021). Integration of Local Cultural Heritage in Art and Design Teaching and Learning: Creative Outputs on Sarawak Native Cultures. Full paper and poster presented at and published in the Proceeding International k@Borneo Conference 2021. Pustaka Negeri Sarawak. 24-36, 180-181.
  7. Wong, F., & Ghulam-Sarwar, Y. (2019). A visual analysis of Hanuman Kera Putih in Wayang Kulit Kelantan. Malaysian Journal of Performing and Visual Arts, 5, 29-43. https://ejournal.um.edu.my/index.php/MJPVA/article/view/20536 
  8. Wong, F., & Ghulam-Sarwar, Y. (2018). The visual elements in the Pohon Beringin figure of the Kelantan shadow play. Malaysian Journal of Performing and Visual Arts, 4, 63–76. https://ejournal.um.edu.my/index.php/MJPVA/article/view/13970 
  9. Wong, F., & Ghulam-Sarwar, Y. (2018). A critical analysis of Rama and Rawana as characters and puppets in the Kelantan shadow play. Paper presented at the International Conference on Performing and Visual Arts 2018, Cultural Centre, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  10. Wong, F. (2015). A Mak Yong Odyssey. Malaysian Journal of Performing and
    Visual Arts, 1, 92–97. https://ejournal.um.edu.my/index.php/MJPVA/article/view/2050

Achievements & Accolades

  1. Media Mention / Published Article featuring my research work on Wayang Kulit Kelantan in See Hua Daily News (Sarawak Chinese Newspaper)
    https://smdd.seehua.com/你不知的皮影戲上光和影、說和唱的藝術/ 
    https://smdd.seehua.com/你不知的皮影戲(下):他與她照亮皮偶/ 
     
  2. Original Artwork titled “Soaring High” for ASEAN Education Cities Conference (AECC) 2023, Sunway University – presented by TS Jeffrey Cheah AO to TS Abang Johari Openg, Premier of Sarawak.
    https://university.sunway.edu.my/sunway-in-the-news/soaring-high-dr-fiona-wongsarawakian-artwork-presented-at-a 
     
  3. Invited Speaker and delivered Talk entitled “Traditional Wau” (Chinese/Mandarin language) to Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala Lumpur (5 August 2023)
     
  4. Invited Speaker / delivered Talk entitled “A Disappearing Local Cultural Tradition: Wayang Kulit Kelantan” at Malaysian Design Archive (MDA), Kuala Lumpur (10 June 2023)
     
  5. Invited Speaker and delivered Talk entitled “A Disappearing Local Cultural
    Tradition: Wayang Kulit Kelantan” (Chinese/Mandarin language) to Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala Lumpur (25 June 2022)
     
  6. Invited Speaker / delivered Online Talks on the topic of Preservation of Cultural Heritage (Chinese/Mandarin language) to Chinese secondary schools:
    1. Chinese High School, Batu Pahat, Johor (31 July 2021)
    2. Chung Hwa High School, Klang, Selangor (4 August 2021)
    3. Pin Hwa High School, Klang, Selangor (27 August 2021)
       
  7. Voluntary Speaker / sharing session at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak (9 March 2023), HOAN Gallery Kuching (4 March 2023), Sarawak Cultural Arts and Creative Association (5 March 2023), Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak (1 March 2023).
     
  8. Completed interdisciplinary research project on preserving local cultural heritage and traditional craftmanship in Malaysia under the University’s internal grant scheme
     
  9. Invited Advisor and External Examiner for Unified Examination Certification (UEC) Senior Middle Level Art Subject Curriculum Committee, Dong Zong, Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (MICSS) association

Professional Associations

  1. Majlis Rekabentuk Malaysia (MRM)
  2. Badan Warisan Malaysia (BWM)
  3. Sarawak Creative Arts and Culture Association (SCACA)