It was during the 2019 exhibition of Lim’s artworks at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai, India that she felt that her decision to back local artists was thoroughly justified. Through her interaction with exhibition goers, she witnessed first-hand how Mumbai denizens drew parallels of their home country to Singapore through Lim’s artistic depictions. She added: “It is a great sense of pride to see the work of a local artist being recognised and appreciated overseas.”
Reclusive Chinese-born local artist, Hong Zhu An
But Lim wasn’t the first local artist Chong worked with. Chinese-born artist Hong Zhu An, who has been based in Singapore for nearly three decades, was. “I came to know him through what I’d like to call a fateful encounter. A mutual friend introduced us back when he happened to be looking for a new gallery to represent him,” said Chong, who had been a long-time fan and admirer of Hong’s works.
The building blocks of Ng’s success are grounded in a thoughtful amalgamation of user requirements, materiality and technology; a triumvirate of elements that “any good design can harness”, he says. Besides, as impressed as he was by the ornate structures of his holidays, Ng’s design language is bound to time and context.
“In Singapore, I will not design a classical house featuring ornate decorations and gargoyles as it does not suit the design language of this country,” he says. “Rather, I create projects with a design language which is relevant to modern Singapore, such as contemporary tropical houses.”