OWEN LEONG HAS BEEN SHORTLISTED AS A FINALIST IN THE THIRD ASIA PACIFIC BREWERIES FOUNDATION ART PRIZE

Owen Leong_Infinite Love_2011_HD video_duration 6:18 minutes_edition of 5 + 1 AP

We are beyond thrilled for Owen Leong, who was this week announced as the only Australian to be shortlisted as one of 15 finalists of the AsiaPacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014 for his work Infinite Love. 

This December, Owen will present a solo exhibition of his work at Artereal Gallery, taking place 3-20 December 2014.

As the only Australian artist to be shortlisted, Leong’s work was selected from 105 nominated artworks from 24 countries and territories. Now in it’s third instalment, the prize seeks to recognize the most outstanding contemporary artwork from both emerging and established artists from the Asia Pacific.

“I am thrilled to be selected as a finalist for the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014, and to be in the company of some of my favourite artists from the Asia-Pacific region is a huge honour,” said Leong.

Leong’s work, Infinite Love, is a performance work that explores the body as a physical site for social, cultural and political forces in relation to the artist’s Asian Australian identity.

His exhibition at Artereal Gallery this December will showcase old and new work from the artist’s wide oeuvre spanning over ten years and disciplines that include video, photography and sculpture, exploring the body as a physical site of exchange for social, cultural and political forces.

A statement from the prize’s jury panel stated, “The finalist works stood out for their strength of concept and execution and despite stemming from such diverse contexts, histories and cultural backgrounds, cleverly explored similar issues of identity, immigration, urban expansion, depletion of natural resources, fading of old values, cultural diversity and more.”

Owen Leong’s exhibition at Artereal Gallery will open Wednesday 3 December at 6:00pm and will be on display until Saturday 20 December 2014.