YOUR STUDIO TROLL
FEATURING NICHOLAS (NICK) ONG
IN FOLKLORES, ‘TROLL’ is usually a term used on a cave-dwelling creature depicted as either a giant or a dwarf. However, in reality, ‘troll’ happens to be the best fit for the strong-minded, passionate and lofty Nicholas (Nick) Ong, who is currently a Year 3 Diploma student studying Fine Arts in LASALLE College of the Arts. Please do not be mistaken as he is not your kind of typical troll who appears behind the tiny, palm-sized, black screen. He is merely one who enjoys voicing out his opinions and thoughts in the studio. When asked about his artistic background, Nick shared that his desire for knowledge and the curiosity for the world he lives in drives his being in the arts. The arts deeply intrigue him. To him, “[it] is like a kind of language that is so incredibly difficult to understand and comprehend that it is often overlooked in the society”.
Nick also cherishes every form of human interaction as he sees them as his inspirations. From smaller, insignificant encounters to bigger, impactful relationships, he firmly believes that “nothing is more interesting than whatever that surrounds us”.
FOR WHATEVER SURROUNDS US IS ALL THAT WE HAVE.
Apart from displaying his artworks in the school’s gallery, Nick has also showcased a few pieces at exhibitions such as Faces and Seni Mini. In Faces, a student organized and selected exhibition, featured works that focused on the idea of faces both literally and conceptually, he chose to paint an obscured, washed-out portrait of a face with no distinctive features. Clearly, the portrait deals with the question of identity and the prospect of finding oneself. “The portrait was inspired by a project I had done about how children shadow their parents, which in turn led to the idea of identity and the concept of self-discovery”, he says. As he seeks inspiration from every individual, it is no surprise that he took a particular interest in this topic because of the “curiosity behind identity and how people attain them”.
In another exhibition titled Seni Mini, Nick created particularly tiny works, in collaboration with other artists, which were inspired by “the damage and illusion behind visual depictions and perception”.
Despite being tied down by assignments in school, Nick never fails to continue drawing and painting things that inspire him. He has also been actively leaving beautiful pieces of art in private clients’ homes, as well as working on commissioned paintings.
Whether Nick’s future artworks are positive or negative, he fervently hopes to share his art with the world as they are packed with his innermost thoughts and feelings. In the meantime, he strives towards the day to see his own creation being put up on the walls of major art fairs – his personal favourite aspect of Art.
PEOPLE’S PERCEPTIONS ARE A MYSTERY TO ME, BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF TWO PEOPLE LEADING EXACTLY THE SAME LIVES IS SO IMPROBABLE THAT I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT EVERYONE.