“At the moment we see the tropics in two ways. We see it as a tropical rainforest in terms of deforestation, environmental issues, in very hard logic, statistics. And the other way is ‘jungle’, which is a very tropical trope, slightly derogatory. Moving forward, by researching the past I’m hoping to think of how we can keep some of that magic and seduction of these images, but have something that is more truthful, or that illuminates something special about what it actually is.”

Donna Ong is best known for her evocative installations made from found objects and images. Her immersive works allude to multiple narratives, and recontextualize histories and the past. In this video interview, Donna speaks about the impulse behind the making of her work, and her abiding interest in representations of landscape, in particular, images of the tropics.

ART SG is grateful to FOST Gallery (fostgallery.com) for their assistance with this artist profile. Footage filmed on-site at Donna Ong’s studio.