retrospective of Jimmy Ong exhibitions from 1985-1990

1985-1990

All pages in development, more photos to be added as they are found and digitised. Back to timeline.

Winni Woman Sitting 1986

Alan Sitting 1986

Exhibition view, Arbour Fine Art.

Winni Woman Sitting 1986

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The Children Of, 1987.

Arbour Fine Art, Cuppage Centre, Singapore.

Constance Sheares wrote an essay for a first catalogue produced by Joseph Lo. The show consists of 12 large works and about 10 smaller drawings of sitting by friends of the artist. A first art review for the artist was written by John de Souza in the Straits Times .

Lim Jen Howe of Arbour Fine Art is remembered for his bold inaugural exhibition as a gallerist titled "Not The Singapore River". Followed by "TriMulti", a group show of three young Singapore artists who now teaches at La Salle College. Jen Howe being a new returnee from London also put up his collection of little seen etchings of David Hockney. I was impressed by Hockneys drawings like "We Two Boys Together" at that time.

Self Portrait with Bird

Self Portrait as Leda 1987

Exhibition view at artist apartment.

Self Portrait with Bird

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Familiar Strangers Distant Relative.

1988.

Dragon Court Artist Studio Open House.

This exhibition of mostly self-portraits in charcoal and colour conte was installed in the artist's apartment in Holland Road. A catalogue was produced by the artist with an essay by Kate James.

Dragon Court was a special place where I roommate with Najib and two other dancers. It became a hangout for after dance rehearsals which Najip choreographed. Ivan and Swee Lin spent a lot of time there, and it was also a space for play-readings and mostly impromptu parties where we would get up in dance costums and parade by the open balcony. All our friends remembered it as Drag Court.

Old Man Smoking

Pte Collection

Our Glorious Dead

Pte Collection

Self Portrait as Son & Father 1989

Pte Collection

Old Man Smoking

Pte Collection

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Jimmy Ong Drawings 1990.

Goethe Institut Singapore.

12 large drawings in first important exhibition.Sarsitharan wrote a review of the exhibition published in the Straits Times.

The director of Goethe Institut was very supportive of artists. I was going to the library a lot to watch videos, and the Film Society had thier weekly screening there. Naturally I befriended a group of the German language students, among whom was Mark Lim, who has been in the National Service with me. Mark led us to make a video of an absurdist play I put up with the student group. The video, entitled "The Classroom" was screened by Ray Langenbach at one of the performance party.