Artist Jimmy ONG 王文清 Born 1964; Singapore Works Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Artist Biography
______Year Education
1989 – 1992 Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, USA
1988 Studio Art Center International, Florence, Italy
1984 – 1985 Center for Creative Studies, Michigan, USA ______Year Selected Exhibitions
2021 S.E.A. Focus Curated: hyper-horizon with FOST Gallery, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore*
2019 Poverty Quilt/A Year in Java, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore* In Its Place, FOST Gallery, Singapore Raw Forms, Coda Culture, Singapore
2018 Open House! Emerald Hill, Singapore Art Fair Philippines with FOST Gallery, Manila, Philippines A beast, a god, a line, Dhaka Art Summit, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Para Site, Hong Kong; TS1, Yangon, Myanmar; Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw, Poland
2017 Spectrosynthesis – Asian LGBTQ Issues and Art Now, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan Art Stage Jakarta with FOST Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia Art Stage Singapore with FOST Gallery, Singapore
2016 Art Stage Jakarta with FOST Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia* From Bukit Larangan to Borobudur: Recent Drawings by Jimmy Ong 2000 – 2015, FOST Gallery, Singapore* Java Stories, Art Basel Hong Kong with FOST Gallery, Hong Kong, China* Art Stage Singapore with FOST Gallery, Singapore
2015 Echoes of Anticipation, FOST Gallery, Singapore
______*Solo Exhibition
FOST Private Limited /Gallery 1 Lock Road /Education #01-02, Gillman Barracks /Advisory Singapore 108932 Telephone 65 6694 3080 E-mail [email protected] Website www.fostgallery.com 2/10
______Year Selected Exhibitions (cont’d)
Siapa Nama Kamu?, National Gallery Singapore, Singapore
Something to Write Home About: 8288 Nautical Miles, La MaMa, as part of Singapore: Inside Out, New York, USA
Land Before Our Time: A Vernacular South-East Asian Art Making, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Galleries 1 & 2, Singapore Singapore Survey 2015: Hard Choices, Artspace @ Helutrans, Singapore {The History of Java}, FOST Gallery, Singapore*
2014 Jimmy Ong, FOST Gallery, Singapore*
2013 Elo Progo, Tyler Rollins Fine Art, New York, USA*
Recent Gifts: Works and Documents of Lim Mu Hue and Jimmy Ong, National University of Singapore Museum, Singapore
2013 Singapore Short Cuts 10, National Museum of Singapore, Singapore
Makcik Project, Biennale Jogja XII, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2012 Singapore Survey 2012: Strange New Faces, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Singapore
2011 Transfiguring, The Private Museum, Singapore Singapore Survey 2011: Imagine Malaysia, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Singapore
2010 SGD, Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Singapore* Sitayana, Tyler Rollins Fine Art, New York, USA* Beyond LKY, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Singapore
2009 The Air Conditioned Recession, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Singapore
2008 Ancestors on the Beach, Post Museum and Valentine Willie Fine Art, Singapore* The Scale of Black, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Singapore
2006 Nature Born, Langgeng Contemporary Art Festival, Magelang, Indonesia
2005 Vision & Resonance, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore
______*Solo Exhibition 3/10
______Year Selected Exhibitions (cont’d)
2004 Rocks & Water, Block 43 Studio Gallery, Singapore* The Invisible Thread, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Staten Island, New York, USA
2003 Trees in a Garden, Lunuganga, Bentota, Sri Lanka*
2002 Portable Prayer, Plum Blossoms Gallery, New York, USA*
2001 Lovers’ Rocks, Taksu Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia*
2000 Alter-Altar, Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong* 12 ASEAN Artists, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Love on Paper, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1999 Studies for a Deity, Gallery 456, New York, USA* The Other Woman, Dagmar Gallery, Santa Monica, California, USA* Tolong, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1998 German Week, the Deutsche Bank Art Collections, Chijmes Gallery, Singapore
1997 Lovers & Ancestors, Cicada Gallery, Singapore* Art Power, in aid of The Substation – A Home for the Arts, Chijmes Gallery, Singapore
1996 Interaction, Cicada Gallery, Singapore
1995 Figurative Works, Mulligan Shanoski Gallery, San Francisco, USA
1994 Five Directions, Takashimaya Gallery, Singapore Windows on Singapore Art, various venues, Hong Kong and China
1991 Many in One, Meridian House International, Washington D.C., USA
1990 Art Travel East West, World Trade Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands Jimmy Ong - Drawings, Goethe Institut, Singapore*
1988 Familiar Stranger/Distant Relative, Dragon Court (artist’s studio), Singapore*
______*Solo Exhibition 4/10
______Year Selected Exhibitions (cont’d)
Table Drawings, Art Forum, Singapore*
1987 The Children of, Arbour Fine Art Gallery, Singapore*
1986 Table Drawings, ArtTrain Gallery, Detroit, Michigan, USA*
1984 The Drawings of Jimmy Ong, Alliance Française, Singapore*
______Year Selected Talks and Performances
2019 Covered Causeway, OH! Open House Passport (performance) {The History of Java} Revisited by Jimmy Ong, Asian Civilisations Museum (performance and talk)
2018 Open Love Letters, OH! Open House Emerald Hill (performance)
______Year Awards & Prizes
1992 Charles Toppan Drawing Prize, Philadelphia, USA
1988 Anna K Meredith Scholarship, New York, USA
1985 Alliance of Independent Colleges Art Scholarship
1980 2nd Prize, Young People’s Section, UOB Painting of the Year, Singapore
______Collections Deutsche Bank AG Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore National Gallery Singapore National University of Singapore Museum Singapore Art Museum Permanent Mission to the UN, New York, USA International corporate and private collections
______Year Selected Publications
2018 Costinas, Cosmin. A beast, a god, and a line, Hong Kong: Para Site, exhibition catalogue, p. 48
2017 Hu, Sean C. S., “Spectrosynthesis – Asian LGBTQ Issues And Art Now”, Taipei: Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, pp. 48 – 51 ______5/10
______Year Selected Publications (cont’d)
2016 Sabapathy, T.K., From Bukit Larangan to Borobudur: Recent Drawings by Jimmy Ong 2000-2015, Singapore: FOST Gallery
2015 Low, Sze Wee (Ed.), Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore Since The 19th Century. Singapore: National Gallery Singapore, pp. 271, 289
The UOB Art Collection – Drawing From Our Past, Framing Our Future, Singapore: United Overseas Bank, pp. 130 – 131
2014 Recent Gifts – Works And Documents Of Lim Mu Hue & Jimmy Ong. Singapore: National University of Singapore Museum, pp. 13 – 28
2010 SGD. Singapore: Singapore Tyler Print Institute
2008 Lee, Peter. Ancestors On The Beach. Singapore: Valentine Willie Fine Art
2006 Nature Born. Yogyakarta: Langgeng Contemporary Art Festival
2002 Lee, Peter. Trees In A Garden. Singapore: Plum Blossoms (International) Ltd
2001 Lee, Peter. Lovers’ Rocks: Jimmy Ong, Hong Kong: Plum Blossoms (International) Ltd
2000 Lee, Peter. “Talking Charcoal”, 12 ASEAN Artists, Kuala Lumpur: National Art Gallery, Malaysia
1999 Lee, Peter. Alter Altar. Hong Kong: Plum Blossoms (International) Ltd
1988 Sabapathy, T.K., “Drawing as Spectacle”, Familiar Stranger/Distant Relative, Dragon Court (artist’s studio), Singapore
1997 Sheares, Constance. Lovers & Ancestors: An Exhibition of Recent Drawings by Jimmy Ong, Singapore: Cicada Gallery of Fine Art, Exhibition catalogue
1980 Painting of the Year Competition, Singapore: United Overseas Bank
______Year Selected Bibliography
2021 Moldan, Tessa. “S.E.A. Focus Connects Southeast Asia With Hybrid Format”, Ocula [Hong Kong; online], 26 January, ocula.com/magazine/insights/sea-focus-connects-southeast-asia-with-hybrid/
______6/10
______Year Selected Bibliography (cont’d)
2020 Ong, Sor Fern. “Arts Picks: Stay home quilt open house”, The Straits Times [Singapore; online], 02 October, straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/arts-picks-stay-home-quilt-open-house
Yamin, Johann. “out of isolation: artists respond to covid-19”, National Gallery Singapore [Singapore; online], 22 September, nationalgallery.sg/magazine/out-of-isolation-covid-19-jimmy- ong-johann-yamin-uncursing-cotton
Ng, Bernard. “Weaving community stories on Stay Home Quilt Open House”, Tzu Chi [Singapore; online], 20 September, tzuchi.org.sg/en/news-and-stories/local-news/weaving-community-stories- on-stay-home-quilt-open-day/
Ng, Bernard. “Connecting different community groups through the “Stay Home Quilt” art project”, Tzu Chi [Singapore; online], 09 August, tzuchi.org.sg/en/news-and-stories/local-news/connecting- different-community-groups-through-the-stay-home-quilt-art-project/
2019 Paulo, Derrick A.. “In Search of the Real Singapore Stories, Beyond Raffles”, Channel NewsAsia [Singapore; online], 03 February, www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/search-real- singapore-story-beyond-stamford-raffles-bicentennial-11199116 Wong, Tessa. “Singapore: The artist cutting off the head of a British colonialist”, BBC [Asia; online], 28 October, https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-50134723 Lim, Michelle. “A Refusal of Raffles”, Plural Art Mag [Singapore; online], 18 October, pluralartmag.com/2019/10/18/a-refusal-of-raffles/
Wong, Bing Hao. “Confrontation with a Tiger: Jimmy Ong at NUS Museum, Singapore”, Frieze [Singapore; online], 17 October, https://www.frieze.com/article/confrontation-tiger-jimmy-ong-nus- museum-singapore
Tee, Ian. “Conversation with Singapore artist Jimmy Ong”, Art & Market [Singapore; online], 22 September, www.artandmarket.net/dialogues/2019/9/22/conversation-with-singapore-artist-jimmy- ong “Becoming Singapore (Episode 2)”, Channel NewsAsia [Singapore; online], hosted by Eunice Olsen. 29 January, www.channelnewsasia.com/news/video-on-demand/becoming-singapore/episode-2- 11133958
2018 “A Beast, A God and A Line. Art, Religion, and Woven Knowledge in Today’s Asia/Pacific”, Museum on the Vistula [Warsaw; online], 20 July – 7 October, www.artmuseum.pl/en/wystawy/bestia-bog-i- linia/1 Gan, Pauline. “Jimmy Ong’s Open Love Letters”, Plural Art Magazine [Singapore; online], 16 June, www.pluralartmag.com/2018/06/16/jimmy-ongs-open-love-letters-2/ Ng, Yi-Sheng. “The Artists’ Colony: A Review of OH! Emerald Hill”, ArtsEquator [Singapore; online], 16 March, www.artsequator.com/review-oh-emerald-hill/ Kwok, Jia Ying. “Dairy of an NUS Museum Intern”, National University of Singapore Museum [Singapore; online], 02 March, www.nusmuseum.blogspot.com/2018/03/diary-of-nus-museum- intern-kwok-jia-yang_2.html
______7/10
______Year Selected Bibliography (cont’d)
Ong, Tanya. “S’porean Artist Turns Raffles’ Statue Into Grill, Gives Alternative Take on Viewing History & Raffles”, Mothership [Singapore; online], 01 March, www.mothership.sg/2018/03/sporean- artist-turns-raffles-statue-into-a-grill-gives-alternative-take-on-how-we-can-view-history-and-raffles/ Yusof, Helmi. “Dhaka Ups Its Cultural Stakes”, The Business Times [Singapore], 23 February, pp. 18 - 20 Nanda, Akshita. “An art walk around Emerald Hill”, The Straits Times [Singapore], life section, 22 February, p. D8 Martin, Mayo. “Emerald Hill Walk: Of colonialism and a darker side of Sir Stamford Raffles”, Channel NewsAsia [Singapore; online], 21 February, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/lifestyle/emerald-hill-oh-open-house-art-walk-colonialism- 9973398 Chai, Amanda. “This Year’s OH! Open House Art Walk Gets Political on Emerald Hill”, SG Magazine [Singapore; online], 21 February, www.sg.asia-city.com/things-do/news/this-years-oh-open-house- art-walk-gets-political
Ardia, Xuan Mai, C. A. “The ‘Gold Standard’ for Art in South Asia: Dhaka Art Summit 2018”, Art Radar Journal [Hong Kong; online], 07 February, www.artradarjournal.com/2018/02/07/the-gold- standard-for-art-in-south-asia-dhaka-art-summit-2018/ Ho, Louis. “Singapore”, ArtAsiaPacific Almanac 2018 [Hong Kong], p. 162
2017 Bonanomi, Alessandra. “Spectrosynthesis, the First LGBTQ Exhibition in an Art Museum in Asia”, The AsiaN [Seoul; online], 14 November, www.theasian.asia/archives/100062 Jamieson, Anna. “’Spectrosynthesis’: Contemporary Art and Asian LGBTQ Issues at MoCA Taipei”, Art Radar Journal [Hong Kong; online], 22 September, www.artradarjournal.com/2017/10/22/ Spectrosynthesis-contemporary-art-and-asian-lgbtq-issues-at-moca-taipei/ “The Gay Chinese Farmer and His Cutting Edge Art”, BBC [London; online], 12 September, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41197396 Chen, Christie. “Taipei Holds First LGBTQ Art Exhibition in a Public Museum”, Focus Taiwan, Central News Agency [Taipei; online], 08 September, www.focustaiwan.tw/news/aedu/201709080038.aspx Belinky, Biju, “Asia’s First Major LGBTQ Exhibition is Opening This Week”, Huck [London; online], 07 September, www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/art-2/moca-taipei-lgbtq/ Mirandilla, Leanne. “Taiwan to Host LGBTQ Show Following Same-sex Marriage Ruling”, CNN Style [Atlanta; online], 29 August, www.edition.cnn.com/style/article/taiwan-lgbtq-exhibition/index.html
Cascone, Sarah. “A Watershed LGBTQ Art Show Opens in Taipei With a Mission”, Artnet News [New York; online], 29 August, www.news.artnet.com/exhibitions/moca-taipei-asias-first-lgbt-art- show-1064153
Jamieson, Anna. “Preview: 6 Highlights From Art Stage Jakarta 2017”, Art Radar Journal [Hong Kong; online], 08 August, www.artradarjournal.com/2017/08/08/preview-6-highlights-from-art- stage-jakarta-2017/
______8/10
______Year Selected Bibliography (cont’d)
Katz, Bright. “Asia’s first major LGBTQ exhibition to launch in Taipei”, Smithsonian.com [Washington; online], 23 June, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/asias-first-major-lgbtq- exhibition-launch-taipei-180963781/ Tsui, Enid. “A Taipei Showcase for LGBTQ-themed Asian Art That’s Timely After Taiwan Court’s Historic Approval of Same-sex Marriage”, South China Morning Post [Hong Kong; online], 19 June, www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2099008/taipei-showcase-lgbtq-themed-asian- art-thats-timely-after “Spectrosynthesis – Asian LGBTQ Issues and Art Now”, Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, [Taipei; online], 09 September – 05 November, www.mocataipei.org.tw/index.php/2012-01-12-03- 36-46/current-exhibitions/2452-2017-07-07-05-28-08
2016 Yusof, Helmi. “Ong goes for greater scope, size and ambition”, The Business Times [Singapore; print and online], 01 July, www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/ong-goes-for- greater-scope-size-and-ambition Yusof, Helmi, “Setting the stage for Jakarta”, The Business Times [Singapore; online], 29 July, www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/arts/setting-the-stage-for-jakarta
Chow, Yian Ping. <<王文清展出巨型历史题材风景人物画 让郑和与拜里苏拉喝茶聊天>> [“Jimmy Ong exhibits historical themed paintings, sits and chats”], Lianhe Zaobao [Singapore; print and online], 07 June, p. 04, www.zaobao.com.sg/zlifestyle/culture/story20160607-626030 “From Bukit Larangan to Borobudur”, d+a magazine [Singapore], June/July issue, p. 110 Spencer, Samuel. “Jimmy Ong Sends Sir Stamford Raffles to Hell at FOST Gallery”, Blouin Artinfo [New York; online], 20 May “Previewed”, ArtReview Asia [London], pp. 19, 26 “From Bukit Larangan to Borobudur: Recent Drawings by Jimmy Ong 2000 – 2015”, My Art Guides [Singapore, online], 14 May, www.myartguides.com/exhibitions/from-bukit-larangan-to-borobudur- recent-drawings-by-jimmy-ong-2000-2015/
2015 Quek, Bruce. “Art Review: TwentyFifteen.sg | Singapore Survey 2015”, TODAY [Singapore; online], 22 August, https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/arts/arts-reviews/art-review- twentyfifteensg-singapore-survey-2015 Shetty, Deepika. “Art for SG50”, The Straits Times [Singapore], 04 August, pp. D4 – 5 Ong, Daphne. “How artist Jimmy Ong struggled before finding his place in the world”, The A List [Singapore], August issue, p. 11 Tunggal, Nawa. “Menemukan Jawa di Singapura”, Harian Kompas, Travel [Indonesia], 01 February Shetty, Deepika. “Raffles in Borobudur”, The Straits Times [Singapore], Life! section, 27 January, pp. 2 – 3 Shetty, Deepika. “Artist Jimmy Ong Reimagines Sir Stamford Raffles’ Time in Java in New Show”, The Straits Times [Singapore; online], 27 January, www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/artist-jimmy- ong-reimagines-sir-stamford-raffles-time-in-java-in-new-show
______9/10
______Year Selected Bibliography (cont’d)
Yusof, Helmi. “Show of Strength”, The Business Times [Singapore], 23 January Chow, Yian Ping. <<在爪哇获得新视角 王文清重识莱佛士>> [“A New Perspective in Java, Jimmy Ong Pays Homage to Sir Stamford Raffles”], Zaobao Now [Singapore; print and online], 20 January, p. 5, www.zaobao.com.sg/culture/arts/story20150120-437324
2014 “Are you looking at me?”, Pin Prestige [Singapore], September Quek, Bruce. “Art Review: Jimmy Ong | 3.5/5”, TODAY [Singapore; print and online], 11 August, www.todayonline.com/entertainment/arts/arts-reviews/jimmy-ong-355 Pew, Gwen. “Cheat Sheet”, Time Out [Singapore], August issue, pp. 60 – 61 Tihor, Kan. “A Room of One’s Own”, Art Republik [Singapore], June – August, pp. 106 – 107 Rasid, Hafiz. “A Room of One’s Own”, Men’s Folio [Singapore], February issue
2013 Kolesnikov-Jessop, Sonia. “8 Iconic Artworks Featuring Lee Kuan Yew”, Blouin Artinfo [New York; online], 08 September
“Grounded Conversations Series: With Jimmy Ong”, NUS Museum [Singapore; online], 09 October, www.nusmuseum.blogspot.com/2013/10/grounded-conversations-series-with.html
Xuhuai, Huang. <<黑白风情>> [“Black and White Styles”], 凯德 180, CapitaLand China [China; online], www.capitaland.com/content/dam/capitaland-180/50/art_2.htm
2012 Kolesnikov-Jessop, Sonia. “Jimmy Ong Tackles Video for Second Solo Show in NY”, Blouin Artinfo [online], 27 December
2010 Lenzi, Iola. “Politics and History in Recent Southeast Asian Contemporary Art”, Asian Art Newspaper [London], November Lenzi, Iola. “Politics and History in Recent Southeast Asian Contemporary Art”, Asian Art Newspaper [London], November Goh, K.K.. “Review”. Lianhe Zaobao [Singapore], 06 November Kolesnikov-Jessop, Sonia. “The Minister as Muse”, Newsweek [New York; online], 15 October
2008 Lee, Sabrina. “The Big Picture – Jimmy Ong”, Time Out [Singapore], August
2001 Dinwiddie, Donald. “Bodhisattva Pudica: The Nudes of Jimmy Ong”, Asian Art Newspaper [London], January
2000 Lenzi, Iola. “Review: Jimmy Ong, Hong Kong”, Art Asia Pacific [Hong Kong], issue no. 28
1999 Lee, Georgina. “Review: A Matter of Extremes”, Hong Kong Standard [Hong Kong], December ______10/10
______Year Selected Bibliography (cont’d)
Chattopadhyay, Collette. “Jimmy Ong at Dagmar”, Asian Art News [Hong Kong], May/June Ollman, Leah. “Art Reviews”, Los Angeles Times, 16 April
1998 Lim, Juliana. “For Jimmy”, Lianhe Zaobao [Singapore], 06 August
1997 Findlay, Ian. “An Intimate World”, Asian Art News [Hong Kong], September, pp. 74 - 77
Munroe, Ben. “An Artist Who Lets His Pieces Do The Talking”, The Business Times [Singapore], 25 July, p. 14 Saw, Kee Wah. “Review”, Lianhe Zaobao [Singapore], July
1996 Farnay, Rachael. “Interaction in Cicada”, Asian Art News [Hong Kong], July
1994 Wong, Susie. “Five different styles, but one common objective”, The Straits Times [Singapore], 18 November, p. 40
1990 Sasitharan, T.. “The Play of Life”, The Straits Times [Singapore], 24 August, p. 4 Sasitharan, T. “Artists from the corporate world”, The Straits Times [Singapore], p. 10 Ang, Dave. “Naked Views”, The New Paper [Singapore], 16 August, p. 14
1988 Sabapathy, T.K.. “Sculptural Stirrings”, The Straits Times [Singapore], 21 June, p. 3 Sabapathy, T.K.. “Still-Life Fruits that Pulsate with Life and Vitality”, The StraitsTimes [Singapore], 17 May, p. 15
1987 Sabapathy, T.K. “Means of Expressing the Self in Terms of Others”, The Straits Times [Singapore], 29 May, p. 29
______© January 2021. Jimmy Ong and FOST Private Limited. No part of this article may be edited, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing from the copyright owner.