"Happy Together: Visions of Gladness from Southeast Asia" is currently on view at Whitestone Gallery Singapore. This vibrant exhibition brings the question of happiness to life through the eyes of five contemporary Southeast Asian artists.

We spoke with the exhibition’s curator, John Z. W. Tung, to learn more about how he selected these artists and the perspectives behind his curatorial choices.

Based in Singapore, Tung is an accomplished curator with extensive experience in international exhibitions such as the Singapore Biennale and the Singapore International Photography Festival. With over a decade of work in the arts and culture sector, he has overseen numerous exhibitions and commissioned works. In 2023, he was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Tan Boon Hui Curatorial Prize.

Whitestone Gallery Singapore

-  In your statement for "Happy Together," you describe happiness as a "frail, fleeting, ever-contested state." What led you to choose "happiness" as the central theme for this exhibition in our contemporary moment?

Tung: When development for the exhibition started, one of the matters that was on the forefront of my mind was how tumultuous the global condition was. It is apparent that the contemporary circumstance was one defined by social and political conflicts against a backdrop of environmental disasters. 

In that respect, I felt that the exhibition could offer a counterpoint to these negative feelings, while at the same time not being dismissive of it. Happiness is but one half the exhibition’s concerns - the other being “Togetherness”. In challenging times, perhaps the best comfort we can have is another individual who we can empathise with, and comforts us. 

Through this lens, the exhibition positions happiness not so much as joyous jubilation, but a subtle sense of peace and comfort knowing that “we are in it together”, and we are not alone in a world that has gone seemingly crazy. 

Whitestone Gallery Singapore

- What were your criteria for selecting these five artists (Goldie Poblador, Krit Ngamsom, Kumari Nahappan, Mulyana, and Yuree Kensaku)? Each works in different media, and you've adopted a "mini-solo" format. Could you explain the reasoning behind this approach and how you've orchestrated the dialogue between their works?

Tung: I felt that it was important to cover an array of current issues, and highlight the ways that artists manifest and come to terms with the challenges of contemporary circumstances. At the same time, to develop a visually engaging show, an array of mediums and materials was essential. These two thinking points served as the fundamental principles which guided my selection of the artists. At the same time, the themes of environmental tragedy, social anxieties, and unceasing labour in the economic context are strongly expressed through the works of the various artists, and are issues that every individual can relate to. And I had very much desired to impact as broad a demographic as possible with the exhibition. 

The idea to present a body of works from each artist, hence constituting a “mini-solo”, was for the twofold desire to introduce the artist’s practice - as opposed to merely a singular work - to visitors, as well as to complement the demands of the exhibition venue (which is large by most measures). In this way visitors can see a dialogue between practices, rather than singular artworks alone - building on the idea that our shared concerns are more expansive than just singular and minute moments in time. 

Whitestone Gallery Singapore

- Could you tell us about the highlights that visitors should experience in person at the venue? 

Tung: Above all else, to be present in any space is to be accorded the luxury of immersing oneself in the experience of scale. I am of the opinion that our grasp of sizes have been exceedingly warped by our consumption of images on social media - oftentimes we have a poor grasp of how large or small a particular artwork or object is when we encounter it on the tiny screens of our mobile devices. 

To experience the significant size of Mulyana’s crocheted reefs in person is to realise the painstaking labour that goes into their creation. And on the converse, the petite stature of Goldie’s glass anemones gives insight into their detail and delicacy. To be present is a human experience that cannot be felt vicariously through pictures. 

Whitestone Gallery Singapore

- At the end of your statement, you write that "joy is something we create, something we hold onto, something we share." When considering the meaning of "being together," what contexts do you find most important—whether it's the backgrounds of artists from five Southeast Asian countries, our current social situation following the pandemic, or other factors?

Tung: Oddly, the first thought that comes to my mind every time the word “togetherness” appears is “Hell is other people” — a famous quote from the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. I guess to some extent this sentiment does hold true when we consider the present global circumstance. Yet, in spite of our frictions and failings, we remain bound to one another in ways we cannot fully escape nor entirely disdain — as John Donne once wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”

Everyone was going wonky during the pandemic with the isolation. I think that makes it clear that every individual is in fact empowered to make life better and meaningful - even if it's just in some small way - for the people around them. The context in that respect, is not specific, but rather quite universal. 

Whitestone Gallery Singapore

-  How has your experience as co-curator of the Singapore Biennale influenced this exhibition? What differences do you see in your curatorial approach between large-scale international exhibitions and more intimate presentations like this one?

Tung: Whether working on a large-scale exhibition like the Singapore Biennale or a more intimate presentation such as this, storytelling remains central to my curatorial approach. It is through narrative that I’m able to draw connections between diverse practices, and create a sense of continuity across different ideas, mediums, and experiences. 

I particularly love how in smaller exhibitions, the act of storytelling becomes more focused — the relationship between artwork, space, and viewer is heightened. Every decision, from how works are sequenced to how space is activated, carries the potential to shape how a story unfolds. 

Ultimately, it’s less about the scale of the exhibition, and more about how thoughtfully a narrative can be constructed — one that is responsive to both the works and the world they speak to.

Whitestone Gallery Singapore

- What kind of impact do you hope exhibitions like "Happy Together" will have on the regional art scene?

Tung: I think exhibitions like Happy Together can offer a reminder that art in the region need not always respond through critique alone, but can also hold space for tenderness, humour, and emotional complexity. There is often a tendency to prioritise the political or the provocative — and while these are certainly important — I believe that equally powerful gestures can be found in works that speak to our shared hopes, fears, and attempts to cope with the times.

Furthermore, in a climate where exhibitions can sometimes feel overly academic or distanced from everyday realities, I believe there is value in presenting shows that are visually engaging yet conceptually grounded — shows that speak to people across different backgrounds.

Happy Together: Visions of Gladness from Southeast Asia