Lecturer, Fine Arts

Dr Wang Ruobing

DR WANG RUOBING
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Art, Oxford University, UK
  • Master of Arts, School of Oriental and African Studies and King’s College London, University of London, UK
  • Bachelor of Arts, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia
  • Diploma of Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore

Dr Wang Ruobing 王若冰 is an artist, educator and independent curator whose practice and research critically examine the complex and evolving relationship between humans and the environment, with a particular focus on the intersections of ecology and knowledge production. A key element of her work is the utilisation of found everyday objects, drawing upon existing traces and narratives of usage in prompting us to reconsider humanity’s role in building a liveable future.

Dr Wang's work has been presented in venues such as  the Groninger Museum Netherlands (2024), National Gallery Singapore (2023), Yuan Contemporary Art Museum, Chongqing, China (2019), Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore (2024), Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Singapore (2021, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2011, 2004), The Substation, Singapore (2004, 2003, 1999), and EVA International, Ireland’s Biennial of Contemporary Art, Limerick, (2010) among other venues.

As an independent curator, her recent curated exhibitions include “Sama-Sama” (Whitestone Gallery, 2025), Alternative Ecology: the Community (Objectifs, 2024) Site and Nature: A Collection of Remembering (NTU Museum, 2023), Inbetween (Comma Space, 2021–2022), Artist as Collector (Gillman Barracks, 2021), 12 SOLO (Comma Space, 2020–2021); Arts in Your Neighbourhood (Public Art Trust 2018 and 2019); Happens When Nothing Happens (The Esplanade, 2019); Of Other Place (The Substation, 2019); and Beneath tide, Running forest (Singapore Botanic Gardens, 2018). 

As an academic, her research concentrates on identity, hybridity and transcultural discourses, particularly on contemporary art in China and Southeast Asia. Her writings have appeared in publications such as ISSUES, Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art (JCCA), Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, Nanyang Art and a range of exhibition catalogues.

Before joining LASALLE, she worked as a curator at National Gallery Singapore. She is also the co-founder of Comma Space (逗号空间), an independent, artist-run experimental platform that 'creates thinking spaces between commas.'

For more, visit here.

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Journals

  • ‘Artistic Humanities: Art in the Age of Climate Change’, ISSUE, LASALLE College of the Arts, vol.13, pp. 45-57 (2024)
  • ‘Xu Bing’s Cross-Cultural Fertilization: Ziranin Transplanting’, Contemporary Art and Ecology East Asia, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 325-335 (2016)
  • ‘第四届新加坡双年展：倘若世界改变 – 在地的优势力量’ (Singapore Biennale 2013: If the World Changed – The Local Strength) in 《南洋艺术》 Nanyang Arts (41) (2014)
  • ‘多元与跨界的本地色彩’ (Dynamic and Cross-cultural Local Colour), Nanyang Arts (40), pp. 42–47 (2013)
  • ‘追寻地域文化：1952 年和2001 年两次巴厘岛的艺术之旅’ (The Quest for a Regional Culture: the Artistic Adventure of the Two Bali Trips in 1952 and 2001), in 《典藏国际版文选》, 第十二卷，中文版， 第四期, Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, Chinese-language edition, pp. 68–79 (2013)
  • ‘多元与跨界的本地色彩’ (Dynamic and Cross-cultural Local Colour), in 《南洋艺术》 Nanyang Arts (40), pp. 42–47 (2013)
  • ‘The Quest for a Regional Culture: the Artistic Adventure of the Two Bali Trips in 1952 and 2001’, Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, pp. 77–87 (2013)

Books (select)

  • Editor, In Studio, Comma Space, ISBN 978-981-18-6244-1 (2023)
  • Editor, Concept 88, Comma Space, ISBN 978-981-18-4005-0 (2022)
  • Co-editor, Visual Thinking: Sense of Knowing, Comma Space, ISBN 978-981-18-3292-5 (2022)
  • Co-editor, Artist as Collector, Comma Space, ISBN 978-981-14-9097-2 (2021)
  • Editor, ‘Body Experiment: Reflection of Technology’, Comma Space, ISBN 978-981-18-2245-2 (2021)
  • Editor, (,) Sense: Tampines, exhibition catalogue, Public Art Trust (2019)
  • Editor, Of Other Places, exhibition catalogue (2019)
  • Editor, Placing Home: Woodlands, exhibition catalogue, Public Art Trust (2018)

Solo exhibitions (select)

  • Off Shore On Tide, Comma Space; Singapore (2021)
  • Over the Horizon, The Concourse, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay; Singapore (2016)
  • The Earthly World, The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art and The Dolphin Gallery; UK (2010)
  • “凹凸”, The Project Space, The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art; UK (2010)
  • Passing by, June 03 2009, 15:53:36 hrs, The Dolphin Gallery; UK (2010)
  • Eat Me, The Dolphin Gallery, Oxford; UK (2009)
  • Seeded I, The Substation Gallery; Singapore (1999)

Group exhibitions (select)

  • Beneath Tide, Running Water, Singapore International Festival of the Arts (2025)
  • Many Worlds at a Glance: Many Worlds all at Once, Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore (2024)
  • Tide, Groninger Museum; The Netherlands (2023–2024)
  • Articulate Waste, Absolute Art Space; Tainan (2023)
  • Nurturing Nodes in the Nook of an Odd Sock, The Miyauchi Art Foundation; Japan (2024)
  • In Be-Tween: [,] 5yrs, Comma Space; Singapore (2024)
  • Tide, Children’s Biennale, National Gallery Singapore (2023)
  • Which is Which, Gajah Gallery; Singapore (2023)
  • Singapore Kaleidoscope: Celebrating Local Artistry, iPreciation Gallery; Singapore (2023)
  • Visual Thinking: Sense of Knowing, Comma Space; Singapore (2022)
  • Re-THINGing Gesture in Contemporary Sculptural Practice, Jendela, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay; Singapore (2021)
  • Colour & Poetry: A Symposium, Slade School of Fine Arts; London (2021)
  • Your Voice, A Symphony, Yuan Contemporary Art Museum; Chongqing, China (2019)
  • 17th International Festival of Contemporary Art Practices, Gallery of Nova Gorica; Slovenia (2016)
  • Ireland’s Biennial of Contemporary Art, Limerick, Ireland (2010)

Curation (select)

  • “Sama Sama” – The Art of Togetherness, Whitestone Gallery; Singapore (2025)
  • 岸む音 / 際の上 Murmuring Shores / On the Brink, MOU Onomichi City University Art Museum; Japan (2024)
  • Alternative Ecology: Community, Objectifs – Centre for Photography & Film; Singapore (2024)
  • Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering, group show with the permanent art collections of the National Institute of Education (NIE) and Nanyang Technological University (2023)
  • In Studio, a solo by Sai, Comma Space; Singapore (2023)
  • Artistic Director, Artist Conference (1) – Interval, Comma Space; Singapore (2023)
  • Guest Curator, a e d g e, Singapore Teachers’ Academy of aRts (STAR), School of the Arts; Singapore (2022)
  • Visual Thinking: Sense of Knowing, Comma Space; Singapore (2022)
  • Artistic Director, INBETWEEN series, Comma Space; Singapore (2021–2022)
  • Artist as Collector, Gillman Barracks, Singapore Art Week (2021)
  • 12 SOLO, Comma Space; Singapore (2020–2021)
  • Guest Curator, Open Media Art Festival (OMAF) Black Swan, Oil Tank Cultural Park; Seoul, South Korea (2020)

Conference presentations (select)

  • ‘Eco-Aesthetic Community Practices in Southeast Asia: A Case Study’, The First Biennial Conference of the Asian Association for Environmental History; Japan (2025)
  • ‘Alternative Ecology: The Community, Interweave the Spectrum: Beyond Collaboration’, RES Artis; Taipei (2024)
  • ‘Living with Plastics: An Artistic Imagination’, Plastic Asia: Materialities, Mobilities & Mutabilities, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore (2024)
  • ‘Arts and Ecology’, 6th Edition Advanced Interdisciplinary Art Research, University of Bucharest; Romania (2024)
  • ‘Artist as Eco-Citizen, Enhancing Sustainability in Arts Education’, Learning & Teaching Seminar, LASALLE College of the Arts (2023)
  • ‘Out to Play: Social Usefulness and Artistic Value in Socially Engaged Practices’, The 12th International Convention of Asia Scholars, Kyoto Seika University, Kyoto, Japan (2021)
  • ‘A Little Further North, INVENTORY: Reconsidering Curatorial Practice’, Nanyang Technological University (2021)
  • ‘The Archived Everyday in Contemporary Chinese Art’, Asia at the Crossroads – Solidarity through Scholarship, Association for Asian Studies; Kobe, Japan (2020)
  • ‘Art in Your Neighborhood 2018–2019’, Futures: The 5th Biennial Conference of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies, University College London (2020)

Panelist (select)

  • Singapore × Taiwan Art Space Exchange Forum (Convergence of Artistic Realms II) (2024)
  • Ground Zero: The Necessity of Arts Spaces, DECK (2023)
  • Singapore: From Cultural Desert to Global Art City, Westpac Asian Exchange Scholars, University of Tasmania (2023)
  • Building Sustainable Art Careers, 7879 Gallery and Clayworks; Singapore (2023)
  • Activation of the Well V: Loving Water, A Round Table Discussion, Donkey Mill Art Center; Hawaii, US (2021)
  • 1st Singapore Eco Film Festival, ArtScience Museum; Singapore (2016)
  • Contemporary Youth Art Forum 2016, Hong Kong University Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong University (2016)

Guest lectures (select)

  • ‘The Artists Village’ and ‘Arts and Ecology’, Hiroshima City University (2024)
  • ‘From Art to Ecology, from Ziran to Environmentalism’, Taipei National University of the Arts (2023)
  • ‘Contemporary Curating’, School of Art, Design, and Media, Nanyang Technological University; Singapore (2021)
  • ‘Arts and Ecology’, National University of Tainan, National Kaoshiung Normal University, and Tainan National University of the Arts; Taiwan (2019)
  • ‘Contemporary Art of Singapore’, Dasein Academy of Art; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2018)
  • ‘Contemporary Rojak: Art of Singapore Today’, Hong Kong Baptist University; Hong Kong (2017)