Her socially-engaged practice investigates how relational and transformative learning can emerge through experimental forms of storytelling. Working at the intersection of Art and Pedagogy, she works collaboratively to explore how modalities of exchange can bring individuals and communities together to foster greater civic engagement.
Previously based in London, and now in Singapore, she works in the ever-expanding field of social practice, having led and facilitated participatory workshops, site-specific installations, public programmes, and performances across the US, UK, Europe and Asia. Her work has been presented at the Singapore Archifest; Institute of Contemporary Arts, Singapore; CICA Museum, South Korea; Whiteconcepts Gallery, Berlin; Framer Framed, Amsterdam; Raven Row, London; The Yard Theatre, London; King’s College London; Goldsmiths, University of London; 5th Base Gallery, London; amongst others in the public streets of London, Singapore and New York City. She has also worked with Asia-Art-Activism research network, The Substation, and Serpentine Education & Projects, at Serpentine Galleries to facilitate and evaluate community-centred public programmes to define the role of arts in times of transition and social change. In 2017, Jia Qi was awarded the Social Art Award by The Institute for Art and Innovation e.V. She holds a BA (First-Class) Joint Honours in Fine Art & History of Art from Goldsmiths, University of London, UK.
Working widely with communities on experimental and interdisciplinary collaborations, she is passionate about redefining the accessibility narrative in the arts to unite diverse communities. She believe co-creation is the fertile ground where we can cultivate our ability to connect with one another, transcending diverse abilities, age, and backgrounds. Her recent works include Kuti Kuti?, intergenerational community art project that reimagines a game from the past into a life-sized soft sculpture playground. Can You Hear Me? a public interactive installation as part of the National Arts Council's "As You Were" public art initiative. A Picnic In Apart, a digital picnic that brings together individuals from across borders together during the pandemic to re-discover our relationship with food and remotely. , Bind, a participatory archival project developed during her research residency at Asia-Art-Activism. Combining traditional bookbinding techniques with socially-engaged pedagogy, participants learn to bind stories of others and our own, tracing a diversity of personal trajectories surrounding stories of care, labour, maintenance and well-being; Field Trip to Redhill, a collaboration with DesignSingapore Associates and My Community to uncover the design of everyday life, heritage and stories through a mix of guided and spontaneous wanderings. She also led Myths On a Red Hill, in collaboration with architects Isabella Duffield and Randy Chan, to lead a public storytelling pavilion in Singapore and reimagine an open classroom in an urban farm, Sprout Hub, for creative modes of exchange. The pavilion grows as a living archive — collectively weaving narratives, knowledge, experiences and stories from different individuals and communities.
As an Arts educator, she believes in teaching as curating learning cultures and spaces for transformation. In her pedagogical endeavours, she is committed to developing critical arts pedagogies for a socially-engaged education to build our capacity for care, curiosity and inclusion. In 2018, she organised the interdisciplinary symposium, Conversations in Singapore History '18 and And Everything in Between to activate new territories of reflection and social action. In 2017, she led Shifting Concretes, a workshop series as part of The Substation 2017 Discipline the City programme together with Karen Lam, which culminated in a public art intervention, "Can we 'Lepak' better at Orchard Road?" to reimagine and activate urban spaces in Singapore. With her love for children's literature, Jia Qi is also a published illustrator for The Little Things – a children’s book about kindness, narrated with characters of local food to inspire children in Asia to celebrate who they are; a community initiative in collaboration with Wu Jiezhen and Tampines Kindness Movement. The book has also been distributed and integrated into pre-schools curriculum in Singapore and National Library Board Singapore.
Jia Qi has written, taught and given talks of various capacities. Some venues include: Goldsmiths, University of London, King’s College London, Royal College of Art, Raven Row London, Asia-Art-Activism, National Library Board Singapore, School Of The Arts, Singapore, Brooklyn Free School, Very Special Arts (VSA), Skillseed Sg, and Zarch Collaboratives.
Previously based in London, and now in Singapore, she works in the ever-expanding field of social practice, having led and facilitated participatory workshops, site-specific installations, public programmes, and performances across the US, UK, Europe and Asia. Her work has been presented at the Singapore Archifest; Institute of Contemporary Arts, Singapore; CICA Museum, South Korea; Whiteconcepts Gallery, Berlin; Framer Framed, Amsterdam; Raven Row, London; The Yard Theatre, London; King’s College London; Goldsmiths, University of London; 5th Base Gallery, London; amongst others in the public streets of London, Singapore and New York City. She has also worked with Asia-Art-Activism research network, The Substation, and Serpentine Education & Projects, at Serpentine Galleries to facilitate and evaluate community-centred public programmes to define the role of arts in times of transition and social change. In 2017, Jia Qi was awarded the Social Art Award by The Institute for Art and Innovation e.V. She holds a BA (First-Class) Joint Honours in Fine Art & History of Art from Goldsmiths, University of London, UK.
Working widely with communities on experimental and interdisciplinary collaborations, she is passionate about redefining the accessibility narrative in the arts to unite diverse communities. She believe co-creation is the fertile ground where we can cultivate our ability to connect with one another, transcending diverse abilities, age, and backgrounds. Her recent works include Kuti Kuti?, intergenerational community art project that reimagines a game from the past into a life-sized soft sculpture playground. Can You Hear Me? a public interactive installation as part of the National Arts Council's "As You Were" public art initiative. A Picnic In Apart, a digital picnic that brings together individuals from across borders together during the pandemic to re-discover our relationship with food and remotely. , Bind, a participatory archival project developed during her research residency at Asia-Art-Activism. Combining traditional bookbinding techniques with socially-engaged pedagogy, participants learn to bind stories of others and our own, tracing a diversity of personal trajectories surrounding stories of care, labour, maintenance and well-being; Field Trip to Redhill, a collaboration with DesignSingapore Associates and My Community to uncover the design of everyday life, heritage and stories through a mix of guided and spontaneous wanderings. She also led Myths On a Red Hill, in collaboration with architects Isabella Duffield and Randy Chan, to lead a public storytelling pavilion in Singapore and reimagine an open classroom in an urban farm, Sprout Hub, for creative modes of exchange. The pavilion grows as a living archive — collectively weaving narratives, knowledge, experiences and stories from different individuals and communities.
As an Arts educator, she believes in teaching as curating learning cultures and spaces for transformation. In her pedagogical endeavours, she is committed to developing critical arts pedagogies for a socially-engaged education to build our capacity for care, curiosity and inclusion. In 2018, she organised the interdisciplinary symposium, Conversations in Singapore History '18 and And Everything in Between to activate new territories of reflection and social action. In 2017, she led Shifting Concretes, a workshop series as part of The Substation 2017 Discipline the City programme together with Karen Lam, which culminated in a public art intervention, "Can we 'Lepak' better at Orchard Road?" to reimagine and activate urban spaces in Singapore. With her love for children's literature, Jia Qi is also a published illustrator for The Little Things – a children’s book about kindness, narrated with characters of local food to inspire children in Asia to celebrate who they are; a community initiative in collaboration with Wu Jiezhen and Tampines Kindness Movement. The book has also been distributed and integrated into pre-schools curriculum in Singapore and National Library Board Singapore.
Jia Qi has written, taught and given talks of various capacities. Some venues include: Goldsmiths, University of London, King’s College London, Royal College of Art, Raven Row London, Asia-Art-Activism, National Library Board Singapore, School Of The Arts, Singapore, Brooklyn Free School, Very Special Arts (VSA), Skillseed Sg, and Zarch Collaboratives.
Can You Hear Me?Kuti Kuti?Kopi & MythsBindOceans*A*PartAll The Things I Had To Say To You
|
The Art of Family TimeStretchThe TreeHouse We Never HadWhat do you not handle with care?Love ClinicUntitled (Goodnight Stranger)Untitled (Grieving in New York City)Real-Doh: Together, We Can Even This OutConversations in Singapore History' 18Waiting ForA safe place to un-nail your privilege |
Field Trip to RedhillTree of CuriositiesA Picnic In ApartGhost to OurselvesDumplings & DialogueIs this seat taken?Real-Doh PlayroomShifting Concretes洗手 (Washing Hands)Fix-Aided |