Solo Exhibition: Undersea Whimsy by Erwin Ong
Experience the playful energy of aquatic worlds through the work of Erwin Ong, who mixes childhood nostalgia with bold, doodle-inspired creations.
His underwater illustrations feature happy, humorous, and slightly menacing creatures that invite viewers to rediscover the simple joy of drawing, to encourage play and experimentation, and to have fun.
Through this exhibition, I invite you into a vibrant aquatic world inspired by memories of scuba diving during a childhood vacation in my native Philippines. I have an organic, free-flowing composition style born out of constantly doodling in notebooks at school.
Each piece starts out the same: a doodled sketchbook idea turns into a composed drawing and then embellished with more doodles—whether to fill space between fish, or as a way to decorate the fish themselves (their fins, scales, or teeth).
This show includes the largest works I have ever exhibited, and also in shapes I've used sparingly in the past (squares and circles). There's also a special, 4-part mural dedicated to the City of New Rochelle.
Photo: Lori Adams
Undersea Whimsy is all about inspiring a sense of play, freedom, and experimentation, and exploring the spaces between the familiar and the unexpected to find moments of creativity.
Undersea Whimsy is on display at the Queen City Art Gallery (located insided the Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital) through December 2024.
Photo: Lori Adams
