“It’s a vehicle for desire, but also a vessel for the possible.” — Alvin Ong
Alvin Ong | Image courtesy of the artist and Ames Yavuz
Alvin Ong (b. 1988, Singapore) is a painter who captures the complexities of the human face and figure in dreamlike paintings, synthesizing histories, mythologies and folk-forms into surreal improvisations and non-linear narratives. Ong’s body of work often explore themes such as isolation, alienation, and desire. His paintings depict a constant internal conflict that resonates with audiences on a profound level. Through his skillful manipulation of form and color, Ong bridges the gap between the external world and the depths of the psyche, revealing the ephemeral nature of our collective consciousness.
Alvin Ong, Exhibition View of “Long Distance”, Yavuz Gallery, Sydney, 2020 | Image courtesy of the artist and Yavuz Gallery, Sydney
Ong currently lives and works in both Singapore and London. At the age of 16, Ong became the youngest winner of the UOB Painting of the Year Award, Singapore (2005). Hecompleted a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford in 2016, and a Master’s Degree from Royal College of Art, London in 2018. His works have been exhibited in Singapore Art Museum (2007, 2012, and 2013); Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore (2010); Peranakan Museum, Singapore (2015);Northampton Contemporary, UK (2017); National Portrait Gallery, UK (2018); Royal Academy of Arts, UK (2019), and among others. His works are collected by ILHAM Gallery, Malaysia; Ingram Collection, UK, and Victoria & Albert Museum (Print Collection), London, UK.
His fascination with the human body
Ong is interested in the physicality of the body, and how our human experiences, especially both online and offline are being reshaped in the current moment. “I love to play with its proportions, exaggerate, conceal, expand and contract it like an abstract form.” The arms and faces in his work do not belong to a specific individual. Ong hopes to translate what hesees as a sensation that he has experienced in his own body such as how an arm feels when it meets another piece of flesh, and when skin meets skin. The anonymous and distorted bodies in his paintings stem from an idea, a mood, a piece of music, or a drawingthat capture intimate everyday moments.
Alvin Ong, Binge Watch, 2021 | Image courtesy of the artist
His painting process is improvisatory to keep things open and allow himself to be surprised.“I begin by drawing directly on the canvas, and then improvising and going with the flow. The figure often comes first. I have a rough idea of the narratives I like to play with, but quite often ideas get tossed out quickly if they don’t match the scale. I often use the Doodle app on my phone to try resolve the situation. If it gets too tricky, I often just paint over and start over.”
The figures in Ong’s paintings often as extensions of himself
“My paintings function as windows and mirrors. They reflect something of myself but also of the world we live in.” While isolation, alienation, nostalgia and desire are recurring themes in his body of work, the concept of homesickness is prominent, with hints of home often emerging in his works.
Alvin Ong, Dumpling, 2023 | Image courtesy of the artist and Sunpride Foundation
Food references, smart phones and screens often appear in his paintings, becoming the objects related to connectivity as well as the reminder of our interconnectedness that create communal experiences. Some of his series featuring the durian, the prized Southeast Asian delicacy, represented as an object of desire.
Alvin Ong, Rempah, 2021 | Image courtesy of the artist
The painting “Rempah” (2021), which was inspired by memories of preparing the traditional Peranakan dish of ayam buah keluak with his family. A mood, a conversation, a piece of music or a childhood memory can be his inspiration.