Slabs, Sheets, Shards
Student Curator
Clay artworks created by Shane Ng, exhibited at Slabs, Sheets, Shards at Ngee Ann Kongsi Library
My very exciting experience being a student curator!
Conceptualisation
When Dr Jun Kai Pow approached me to be the student curator for a ceramics exhibition, I immediately began researching, looking into ceramic themes, artists, and how past exhibitions were framed. I wanted to avoid creating a theme that felt generic or overused. After studying the works of the four featured artists, Shane Ng, Saya Yamaguchi, Nick Ng, and Ben Loong, and discussing our ideas with Dr Pow, we shaped the exhibition around the idea of human interference in nature, reflected through the artists’ engagement with clay as a material.
The artwork, 'White Sun Rising' by Nick Ng (Tu Ren)
Preparation Process
After finalising the artwork selection, I moved on to designing the exhibition poster and writing the curatorial text. Both pieces went through several rounds of revisions, tweaking wording, adjusting layouts, and refining small details. It became a slow, careful process that taught me just how much thought goes into presenting an exhibition clearly and meaningfully.
View my poster and my curatorial text here!
Me giving my presentation on the curatorial theme!
Exhibition Launch
At the exhibition launch, Dr Pow began with an opening speech, and I followed, sharing the curatorial theme and the direction of the exhibition. Speaking to a crowd of over 50 people was both exciting and nerve-wracking, and I was so happy with the turnout. After my talk, each artist took the audience through their works, explaining their process and ideas in detail.
This exhibition was one of the most rewarding projects I’ve done, as leading the curatorial direction, design, and marketing allowed me to grow significantly as an aspiring curator.
The artist, Ben Loong, explaining his artworks