Meet Nicholas Ong | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicholas Ong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicholas, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think risk taking is a constant standard in life, a lot of the decisions that I had to make with regards to my career has started from a very early age. the choices we make have ripple effects that can change the course of our lives, this would be daunting for anyone, but the way I look at it, the curiosity to fulfil the inclinations that I have tend to outweigh the fear and anxieties that may cripple me. failure tends to be one of the largest considerations when it comes to risk and over time I have come to embrace the idea of failure as a conviction to learn and grow, I like to believe that the world is more forgiving than we perceive it to be and that all I can do as a promise to myself is to constantly try.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a visual artist that specialises in the medium of paint and light, I create paintings and installations that seek to create immersive experiences that revolve around concepts of perception and question the precepts that we develop around understanding our reality. My paintings are grounded in my experimentation of the relationship between the two and three dimensional, and our faculties that facilitate our range of perceptions and sensations.

I believe that it is perspective that sets us apart from each other, our differences that make us unique. My work embodies my perceptions of the reality around me and my artworks allow a capacity for people to formulate their own ideas of what they see and perceive through a connected experience. I think I see my artworks as a type of mirror, what we see and experience from witnessing it, is very much subject to our perceptions and dispositions when approaching it. This open endedness may leave us more for wanting, but it also present a different capacity to embrace our own perspectives and experiences.

I think my career got to where it is at, because of the commitment to the belief in what I do and what I have to say. Happiness to me has always been about being able to try, and while it hasn’t been an easy feat, embracing support and belief in not just myself but in the other people around me who believe in what I do has created healthy support systems that I lend a lot of my success to!

I think what I want the world to know about me is that I am just another person looking to make stories, who appreciates our similarities but loves our differences. who is excited by collaboration and driven by experimentation.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Singapore is an interesting place, it has a broad range of races and religions and has plenty of charm sprinkled through this metropolitan city state. There have been a ton of pop up parties that happen every weekend, which become a great way to see a more unfiltered side of singapore and to meet a variety of individuals that who knows, you may even become friends with!

If you are looking for a day time stroll in the sun, and wanted to look at the latest exhibitions from contemporary artists in singapore and around the world, I would pay Gillman barracks a visit, it is an arts cluster that features some of the best galleries in the region with a broad range of artists and experiences.

FOOD. food is a massive part of Singaporean culture, and singapore has a wide variety of food from all over the world as well as from the region. hit up any of the hawker centres through the country, and try as much as you can, everyone has something different to offer and I promise it will be quite an experience. In the same way food has a special place in my heart here in singapore, so does nightlife, drinking responsibly is definitely important and being respectful is in every sense of the word a neccessity. fulfil this requirements and you will find that everyone is friendly and you will always be able to make friends at the various bars and clubs through the country. there is a healthy party scene asides from these establishments that should you look hard enough, you just might be able to find!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to all the people who have supported me and the life that I’ve chosen to lead. the ones who have become part of the stories I have made and believe in what I do, you know who you are. Big shoutout to Yavuz Gallery and the team that have worked tirelessly with me to support my career and everything that I do!

Website: nicholasongstudio.com

Instagram: Neekruz

Linkedin: Nicholas Ong

Image Credits
Singapore Arts Club Yavuz Gallery The Artist We Are Island Boys