For our Art issue, we invited artists from Singapore and the Asian region to ponder the questions surrounding creativity, inspiration and purpose in today’s world. Here, we speak to Alvin Ong from Singapore, represented by Ames Yavuz Gallery.
What would you say are the best things about being an artist today?
Being self-employed and having the power to decide how you would like to spend your day. Of course, that comes with a level of self-discipline and structure.
What are the biggest challenges facing the art world now?
There are so many. But the art world is also a reflection of the larger problems that plague the world at large. My paintings are a mirror.
How should one approach contemporary art?
With an open mind.
Why do you create art?
Because I can’t see myself doing anything else!
How do you continually find inspiration? Who or what inspires you?
Random moments, conversations with friends, and stuff I see online are all inspirations. I think living between London and Singapore also keeps the eye fresh and allows me to experience both cities as a local and a tourist.
How do you stay true to who you are as an artist?
The practice and headspace are still always the most important. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s better to start over and begin again.
What’s something you would like to explore next?
I often see the body as a landscape and vehicle for story-telling. They are often semi-autobiographical but I keep narratives as open-ended as possible at the start and improvise from there. Even though I’m based in London, I visit Singapore two to three times a year and will usually stay for a couple months at a time. This means that I am able to revisit the objects that root me here and [the objects] have begun reappearing in my canvases.
PHOTOGRAPHY JAYA KHIDIR