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There in the middleness
1/9
2021
Farewell to Reason
KSY
A tribute to Brutalism, these architectural pieces are a nod to Modernism, fusing human savoir-faire, the natural beauty of onyx and state-of-the-art technology.
“It is almost a personal battle to be fought, torn between my desire to intervene and what I would call some “respectful restraint”! It also safeguards me, as there is always some inner voice telling me to re-evaluate the achieved body of work, ensuring some evolution from one creation to the next, driven by the urge to distil a purer form, to extract the most essential qualities…”
1/7
2021
There in the middleness
National Gallery Singapore
Set monolithically within the vast greenery of The Padang, and distanced peripherally by the city's modern skyline, the installation draws the viewer to its peaceful inner sanctum. It aims to lift the spirits of the viewer to then collectively as a society reimagine new possibilities for the future.
1/7
2019
In the Scheme of Things
DesignSingapore
These new works provides a taster of Yong's ongoing collaboration with manufacturers to create thought-provoking design through engagement with innovative materials and production methods
1/5
2017
Star Wars Sculpture
Disney
For this exclusive collaboration with Disney, four marble pieces has been released, each modelled after iconic characters Sandcrawler, Millennium Falcon, TIE-Fighter and AT-AT. The Millennium Falcon and TIE-Fighter represents the duality of Light and Dark, while the AT-AT and Sandcrawler have strong visual and architectural elements. Only three pieces were produced per design and each sculpture is numbered and signed.
1/2
2014
Flash
iLight Marina Bay, Singapore
Flash is a giant red ring that is illuminated inside. Visitors are invited to interact with the sculpture and to make up their own interpretation of the installation.
1/6
2014
Lightness
Singapore Tourism Board
The Lightness is a six-meter-long feather sculpture perched on the scaffolding structure that symbolises the coming of age of creatives in Singapore, and how they have taken flight with newfound confidence. It is a part of the Singapore: Inside Out exhibition that was on its tour around the global creative capitals of Beijing, London and New York City
1/7
2013
Construction
NYD
Construction is a series of multifunctional shelves that makes use of unused corners. The shelves come in convex or concave arrangements, and explore how simple lines and shapes can be adapted to suit different lifestyles.
1/6
2012
Community
URA
The former Singapore National Stadium was a brutalist-inspired sheath of concrete steps on an exposed concrete frame. It was opened in 1973 and demolished in 2010–11 to make way for a new stadium and sports hub. A design competition (‘Bench’) was initiated to celebrate the building, with participants asked to create an outdoor bench with the weather-beaten timber planks that once formed the stadium’s seating. Community emerged from an invitation to take part as a guest designer. This modular arc-shaped stool can be arranged in many formations – including a ring. In that arrangement, it recalls the shape of the stadium while creating opportunities for eye contact and encouraging communication. The sitting posture encourages attentiveness and social assertiveness. A steel and timber framework establishes the structure, and the existing patina of the timber is exposed on the sitting surface. Community celebrates the camaraderie and passion that once echoed around the stadium during National Day festivities.
1/3
2012
King of Dreams
Collaboration with Phunk Studio
The design resembles a life-sized bird cage, a sanctuary in which the "king" can nest his dreams, set it free to take flight across the universe. It is inspired by PHUNK's Daydream Nation series of original artworks and their shared influences and love for art, design, vintage furniture, rock music, and comic books.
1/6
2011
$1.50, $2.50, $3.00
The Little Thoughts Group
In January 2013, The Little Thoughts Group (a Singapore-based collective of product designers) presented the exhibition Makan Time! Their goal was to investigate and celebrate Singapore’s food culture through specially designed products. $1.50, $2.50, $3.00 is a lamp developed for the show. It evolved from a personal reflection on the meaning of Singaporean food, and recalls humble childhood meals forged from luncheon meat and instant noodles, condiments of various types, and tinned biscuits – all imported from other countries but instantly recognisable to many Singaporeans. It is perhaps an unusual definition of beloved cuisine, but it is one that very much represents staple foods for Singaporeans and reflects our multicultural society.
1/1
2007
70cm High Bed
NYD
The function of the typical bed frame is to raise one’s mattress. 70cm High Bed emerged from an investigation into what more the bed frame could achieve. It raises the mattress to the familiar height of a dining table, but introduces an unfamiliar means of going to bed: climbing up steps. This emphasises the ritual of going to sleep – of leaving the day behind and entering another state. The disjunction of states is played up by the splaying of two of the bed’s legs and their repurposing as stair stringers. This creates a seemingly impossible angle. Concealed steel brackets reinforce the structure and prevent the bed from collapsing. The frame is otherwise intentionally simple and reductionist in design – a composition of unadorned oak components. 70cm High Bed translates the performance of a ritual (going to bed) into furniture design.
1/6
2005
Machinist Anonymous
NYD
An exhibition titled UseLess, staged at the Singapore Design Festival 2007, was the context for which this series of three investigative sculptures was produced. The work addresses the two meanings that could be read in the exhibition name: ‘use less’ and ‘useless’. Old disused car parts were collected from a mechanic’s garage, cleaned up, and uniformly powder coated white. The paint became a mask over the former mechanical functions of the parts, rendering them relatively anonymous and inviting the viewer to mentally investigate their identity and purpose. The notion being probed and promoted is that beauty exists not in form itself, but in one’s understanding of form through function. And if one views beauty with a functionalist view, it can be found anywhere.
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