Rare and never-before-exhibited works by Matthew Wong will head to Venice in time for next year’s Biennale, marking one of the most high-profile shows planned for La Serenissima during the spring.

The show, titled “Matthew Wong: Interiors,” is being curated by John Cheim, whose defunct New York gallery was among the few to show the artist’s work during his brief life.

Wong, who died by suicide at 35 in 2019, is today remembered for the vivacity of the colors he used to depict snowy landscapes and still lifes. Based in Canada for much of his career, Wong was on the cusp of greater recognition at the time of his passing and has since become even more well-known. His art currently hangs in the Museum of Modern Art’s galleries, and he was the subject of a traveling survey in 2022.

The 35-work Venice show will focus on “interiors, both physical and psychological,” according to a release, and is being put on by his foundation, which is run by his mother Monita.

“The exploration of the interior has long been a central concern in modern and post-war art—from the vibrantly colored and patterned domestic scenes of Matisse and Vuillard to the emotionally c...