Jimmy Ong, Lemons Cauliflower, 1995

Oil on linen
25.5 x 20.5 cm
Condition: Very good

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Jimmy Ong (Singaporean, b. 1964) is a multidisiciplinary visual artist working between Yogyakarta and Singapore. He trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, graduating in 1992, and initially gained recognition with large-scale figurative charcoal drawings. These works frequently explored queer male bodies, sexuality, family dynamics, and personal identity rooted in his upbringing in Chinatown. His early formation is represented in works like the Chinatown Suite, a series of sketches from 1985-87, now part of NUS Museum collections.

In later years, Ong's practice evolved into socially engaged installations and relational work that interrogated colonial histories and regional memory, particularly through ongoing engagement with the figure of Stamford Raffles across Javanese and Singaporean narratives. His signature Seamstresses' Raffles series, involving embroidered batik effigies and performances in collaboration with artisans in Yogyakarta, reflect his broader critique of colonial legacy and embodiment of spiritual, feminist, and queer perspectives. His works have appeared in institutions including the National Gallery Singapore, NUS Museum, Asian Civilisations Museum, and Tyler Rollins Fine Art, among others.

(Photographed in July 2025)