Working with photography and sculpture, Owen Leong investigates how the body is framed – physically, socially and culturally. His work evolves from the premise that identities are fluid and constantly changing. In the self-portrait titled Sankalpa, the energy meridians are visualised as a form of armour or exoskeleton that floats around the artist, emanating from the mind and yet anchored in the body. The work takes its name from the Sanskrit word ‘Sankalpa’, which means an idea formed in the heart or mind, a private meditation, a deep resolve or intention to bring about positive change in one’s life.

Leong has exhibited widely in Australia and internationally including at the Singapore Art Museum, Krasnodar Institute of Contemporary Art in Russia and the National Museum of Poznan in Poland. He is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award and has participated in several residencies in Australia and abroad including the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. Leong’s work is held in public and private collections in Australia and internationally.