Artist Talk with Jimmy Ong

Join us for a talk and Q&A with contemporary artist, Jimmy Ong, whose exhibition, entitled Sitayana, is currently on view at Tyler Rollins Fine Art until February 27, 2010 (www.trfineart.com)

Considered to be one of Singapore’s preeminent contemporary artists, Ong has been noted for his large scale, figurative charcoal works on paper since his first solo exhibitions in the 1980s. During the past year, he became fascinated with the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic that recounts the exploits of Rama and his dutiful wife, Sita. A Singporean of Chinese descent who is now residing in the United States, Ong has brought his own unique viewpoint to this classic story. Inspired by the Ramayana’s characters and its dramatic themes of love, combat, and heroic adventure, he has created new narratives that are informed by his sensitivity as a gay man to the way gender roles play out in contemporary relationships. Ong has refocused the epic on the Sita character—hence the exhibition’s title, Sitayana, and his works explore the ways in which multiple identities and perspectives can coexist within the individual.

View of Ong's installation

Please RSVP to education@mocanyc.org or 212.619.4785.

This event is free and open to the public, courtesy of Target.