BIO
Ian Ong is a Singaporean sculptor and designer, based in Baltimore, Maryland, currently completing his degree in Interdisciplinary Sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
He is passionate about fantasy, the future, and the construction of characters and worlds, and hopes to pursue prop design and production.
As a sculpture specialist at MICA, he is adept with a range of traditional and digital fabrication processes, from traditional blacksmithing and woodworking to CAD modelling and 3D printing. His more recent works include intricate mechanical oddities and suits of armor constructed with digital and analog processes.
Ian has worked as an assistant and technician in various fabrication spaces, recently serving as a studio assistant to Nicholas Ireys, blacksmith and founder of NI Metal Design.
Artist Statement
Attempting to form a collective narrative of a reality after our current era of humanity, my work is a means of processing my grief for the dying world around us.
Our society is headed toward self annihilation, perhaps not in the next century, but surely within the next few millennia. Our society as we know it today won’t exist, though some form of humanity will surely remain. How might the magics of the future become technologies that enable us to heal, and for us to heal the world we have already begun irreversibly scarring?
How, perhaps, might we have finally developed a collective consciousness and kindness for the intelligence all around us we refused to acknowledge?
Through the creation and design of artifacts and armor from speculative futures, I use these objects as vessels for stories and histories that might prompt questions and draw parallels to our own world. I approach my designs with a mix of contemporary digital fabrication tools and traditional techniques, valuing fine craftsmanship and details that reward close inspection.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
2021 - 2025
Interdisciplinary Sculpture Major, Product Design Minor
SCHOOL OF THE ARTS SINGAPORE (SOTA)
2013 - 2018
International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP)
Professional Experience
Community Technician
Open Works Baltimore
2025 - Present
Currently working as a community Technician at Open Works Baltimore, a non-profit makerspace. Duties include managing and maintaining workshops, assisting members projects and machine use and performing repairs and daily upkeep of equipment and facilities.
Residential Advisor
MICA Residence Life
2023 - 2025
Worked as an RA for MICA. Duties include conducting rounds in residence halls, assisting in opening and closing of halls, assisting residents with questions and running community events.
Boarding School Assistant
Cognita
2021
Worked for six months as a boarding assistant in a boarding house for international students. Duties included enforcing lights-out schedules, cleanliness and hygiene, as well as handling disciplinary and emotional issues.
Costume Technician
Universal Studios, Resorts World Sentosa
2018 - 2019
Created and repaired costumes for events and daily park operations as well as performed maintenance checks and responded to emergency repair requests.
Head Curator
23:59
2018
Headed the curatorial team for the SOTA Year 5 cohort work in progress exhibition, putting together more than 50 works in the show. Responsibilities included overseeing layout of exhibition space, collateral design, publicity, liaising with artists and exhibition installation.
Student Technician
MICA Digital Fabrication
2021 - 2025
Worked as a student technician in the digital fabrication studios at MICA. Duties include managing the use of the studio, maintaining 3D printers and laser cutters, and assisting others with use of equipment and software for projects.
Art Instructor
Brave New Worlds, Amazing Arts Shuttle
2018 - 2022
Conducted a variety of art classes for children (ages 5-10) including camps, public art workshops, weekly Zoom and in-person courses demonstrating an array of mediums and materials.
Third Sergeant
Singapore Armed Forces
2019 - 2021
Completed 22 month long National Service in Singapore, serving as a third sergeant of the 39th Battalion Singapore Combat Engineers, Chemical Biological Radiological Defence (CBRD) unit.
Head Curator
Reconstruction
2018
Headed the curatorial team for the 2018 SOTA Student-Curatorial Project. Responsibilities included overseeing layout of exhibition space, collateral design, publicity, liaising with artists and exhibition installation.
Papermaking Intern
Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI)
2017
Worked under paper makers as part of the team creating one of Jason Martin’s artworks.
EXHIBITIONS PARTICIPATED
Breakout:G2G Again
January 12 – February 12 2024
Night Owl Gallery
Visual Arts Graduating Showcase
30 Jun – 3 Aug 2018
SOTA Gallery
Please Do Not Touch: A Student Curatorial Project
28 Oct – 5 Nov 2017
SOTA Gallery
The Unforgetting Space
The O.P.E.N. Singapore International Festival of Arts,
29 Jun – 9 July 2017
Muhamad Sultan Road
3-Quarters: Year 3 and 4 Visual Arts Showcase
16 – 25 April
SOTA Gallery
Body, Heart, Soul
25 April – 1 May 2022
Cotyledon Art Gallery, Gallery 410
Reconstruction: A Student Curatorial Project
10 – 16 May 2018
SOTA Gallery
23:59: Year 5 Visual Arts Showcase
16 – 24 September 2017
SOTA Gallery
In an Echo We Remember
A Student Curatorial Project in conjunction with Curating Whampoa
7 – 16 April 2017
SOTA Gallery
3-Quarters: Year 3 and 4 Visual Arts Showcase
3 – 21 April
SOTA Gallery
GET IN TOUCH
I'm always open to collaborations, commissions, projects, opportunities, exhibition openings, or a campaign of D&D!
