EDUCATION
2016: Ph.D, Art, Design and Media, The University of New South Wales, College of Fine Arts, Australia.
2010: M.Phil, Music Composition – The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
1989: Bachelor of Arts, Honours, Music & Fine Arts – The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
AWARDS
Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards (Achievement) 2021
UNSW Art & Design Dean’s Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Research 2016
The Arts in Society International Award for Excellence 2013, Volume 7
UNSW University International Postgraduate Award 2012-2015.
COMMUNITY & DISABILITY SERVICE
Board of Management – Disabled People’s Association Singapore – 2017-Present
Co-Founder / Director, K9 Assistance (Limited) Singapore – 2019-2021
Director, Disabled-Led Artists’ Collective Singapore – a new project supported by the Disabled People’s Association Singapore – 2019-present.
PUBLIC SPEAKING, LECTURES & WORKSHOPS
“Clement Space: strategies for wellbeing inspired by autistic modalities,” Yale-NUS, 2020.
“The Arts & Disability: about us and with us,” National Arts Council Singapore, 2020.
“Clement Space: a strategy for wellbeing inspired by autistic embodiment,” Singapore Management University, 2019.
“Autistic Thriving – Not Despite, But Because of Autism” – Plenary Speaker, Asia Pacific Autism Conference 2019, Singapore
“Meeting in the Middle: Representation & Tokenism” – Ethos Books, March 2019
“Clement Space: a strategy for wellbeing inspired by autistic embodiment” – Singapore Management University, March 2019
“Autism, Neurodiversity & Wellbeing” – Lions Clubs of Singapore 60th Anniversary, February 2019
“Autistic Thriving” – TEDx Pickering Street, Singapore – August 2018
“Autism, Mental Health and Art” – Yale-NUS Singapore – April 2018
“Autism, Neurodiversity and Art Practice” – International Humanitarian Law Disability Network seminar series, NUS – March 2018
“Autism & Art – mental wellbeing and social empathy” – AutismHK, The Education University of Hong Kong – March 2018
“Embracing Neurodiversity,” Committee on Gender Equality & Diversity Seminar Series, University of Hong Kong – February 2018
ARTISTIC PRACTICE (selected)
Scheherazade’s Sea: continuing journey 2021, a multi-media interactive immersive digital installation and ‘live’ performance; and practice-based research on alternative performative approaches for artists with sensory and medical disabilities. Creation Grant, National Arts Council Singapore; Creative Collaboration, ART:DIS.
Clement Space @ Suwon, Suwon Art Museum, South Korea, 2020.
Scheherazade’s Sea: stories and songs from a hidden world, a fully digitalised revised version of “Scheherazade’s Sea 2010”, Digital Presentation Grant, National Arts Council Singapore, 2020
Clement Space, immersive installation commission, National Gallery Singapore, 2020.
Something About Home, promenade theatre, National Gallery Singapore, 2020.
Designing Clement Space: a neurodivergent-led art & research residency, National Library Board, library@orchard, Singapore, 2019.
Video: ‘Empathy’ for App by fEEL, The BIG Anxiety Festival Sydney, Australia, 2019.
Making a Stand, theatre performance, British Council Singapore, 2018.
Clement Space @Playeum – I-Opener, 1 June 2019 – 26 April 2020, Playeum, Singapore.
Snoösphere 2017 – autism/neurodiversity consultant & associate artist. UNSW Galleries, Sept-Nov 2017.
Neurodiverse-city @ The BIG Anxiety Festival 2017 – 2 installations: Clement Space in the City and An Olfactory Map of Sydney. Customs House, Sydney, Sept-Nov 2017.
Sonata in Z – solo exhibition, UNSW Art & Design, 10-14 November 2015.
Participation in David Capra’s “Teena’s Bathtime 2015“, Bella Room Commission, Museum of Contemporary Art.
Little Sweets 小甜心 – solo exhibition, UNSW Art & Design, 10-14 November 2014.
Four Thirty Three – group exhibition, “IN MOTION” by Airspace Projects, 22 November 2014.
Doodle Dreams – group exhibition, “The Democracy of Drawing,” curated by AirSpace Projects, part of Art Month Sydney March 2014.
Confronting the Senses – group exhibition, “Desiring Machines,” curated by Critical Animals, at This is Not Art 2013, The Lock Up Cultural Centre, Newcastle, Australia. 4-6 October 2013.
Scheherazade’s Sea – songs from silence 2013 – performance at the World Stage Design 2013, Cardiff, U.K. 13 September 2013.
Haptic HugShrug (revised 2013) – group exhibit, VIVID SYDNEY 2013 – Haptic InterFace, Hong Kong House, Druitt Street, Sydney, 27 May-6 June 2013.
Roaring Whispers 2013 – a multisensory installation and conceptual space, COFA Space gallery, College of Fine Arts, UNSW, 7-10 May 2013.
Haptic Autistry. Installation – a multimodal, interactive study of haptic sensory idiosyncrasy. Haptic InterFace 2012, Hong Kong Baptist University, Koo Ming Kown Gallery, Hong Kong, 21 November – 16 December 2012.
Haptic HugShrug. Prototype – a study of deep pressure stimulation. Haptic InterFace 2012. Hong Kong Baptist University, Koo Ming Kown Gallery, Hong Kong, 21 November – 16 December 2012.
Scheherazade’s Sea. Mixed media, multi-sensory installation and performance. University of Hong Kong, Department of Music, Hung Hing Ying Building, Hong Kong, 9 April 2010.
PAPERS & PUBLICATIONS
“Scheherazade’s Sea: Five Women and One,” chapter, Making Kin: Ecofeminist Essays from Singapore, Ethos Books SIngapore, 2021.
“Clarifying Self-Report measures of Social Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to Improve Reporting for Autistic Adults,” Autism in Adulthood, 2021. (Co-author)
“The use of everyday and assistive technology in the lives of older autistic adults,” Autism, 2021. (Co-author)
“Exploring Autistic Adults’ Psychosocial Experiences Affecting Beginnings, Continuity, and Change in Camouflaging Over Time – A Qualitative Study,” OSFPreprints, 2021. (Co-author)
“The Arts & Disability in Singapore: a journey of dynamic partnership between the United Kingdom and Singapore through the British Council,” British Council Singapore, 2020.
Seeing Singapore Clearly through the Eyes of Disability, the Birthday Book 20/20, Singapore, 2020.
Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of the Rainbow. Review. Artlink Magazine, Australia. 19 September 2017.
Reflections on the neurodiverse city. Feature. Artlink Magazine, Australia. 01 September 2017.
Scheherazade’s Sea – autistic parallel embodiment and elemental empathy. Conference paper presented at the UNSW Art & Design Postgraduate Research Conference, 17-18 June 2015.
Reciprocating Self and Other – lessons from autism. Conference paper presented at the Inter-Disciplinary.Net, “Strangers, Aliens and Foreigners,” 5-7 September 2013, Mansfield College, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K. | First Published in Experiencing Otherness: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Ed. Bashir, Hassan & Roye, Susmita. Inter-Disciplinary Press, Oxford, U.K. 2015
Art in a Hidden World – creative process and invisible anomaly. The Arts in Society Conference 2012, Arts and Design Academy, Liverpool, UK; The International Journal of Arts in Society: Annual Review, Volume 7, and The International Journal of Art History and Theory (in publication), Common Ground Publishing. 2012 International Award for Excellence.
MEDIA FEATURES
“Lucy and Me,” Singapore Tatler, October 2021.
“Commentary: Does the word ‘autistic’ make you uncomfortable?,” CNA Insider, 11 Jul 2021.
“Uniquely Me,” threesixzero films, MediaCorp Singapore, 2019.
“The Right to be Different – Neurodiversity & Cultural Change.” Pens & Needles, 2018, by Erin Thomas.
“Space of Mind: an interview with Dawn-joy Leong.” RUNWAY Australian Experimental Art, by Chloe Watson. Issue #35.
“Making a space for different minds.” The Conversation, feature article by Katie Sutherland. 23 October 2017.
“Snoosphere: the art installation tackling mental illness.” ABC Australia, Lateline. 20 September 2017.
“On the Red Dot” Episode 16 – Autism. Television feature programme, Channel 5, Mediacorp, Singapore. 21 July 2017.
“I’m not bad, I’m not ill, I’m autistic.” CNA Insider article by Desmond Ng. Channel News Asia, Mediacorp, Singapore. 23 July 2017.
“Adults Find Out They’re Autistic.” Full page feature in Sunday Times, Singapore. 30 April 2017.
“Being autistic in a non-autistic world.” Video by documentary film maker Martin Guinnesss. 30 March 2016
“Doogle, Buddy, Lucy and Friends.” Video by documentary film maker Martin Guinness. 6 April 2016
“A Different Way of Thinking.” Interview. SBS feature about neurodiversity. 24 Dec 2015.
CONFERENCES
4th December 2020: 24th World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions. ‘School absence – refusal or coping strategy.’
“Improving self-report measures of social anxiety & obsessive-compulsive disorder for autistic adults,” co-author, presented by Iliana Magiati, Autistica Discover Conference, UK, 2019.
“Autistic Thriving: not despite but because of Autism,” Plenary Speaker, Asia Pacific Autism Conference, Singapore, 2019.
“Reciprocating Self and Other – lessons from autism,” Inter-Disciplinary.Net conference, Oxford University, UK, 2013.
COMPLETED THESES
2016: Scheherazade’s Sea – autism, parallel embodiment and elemental empathy. Ph.D dissertation, University of New South Wales, Art & Design.
2010: Scheherazade’s Sea – a mixed media, multisensory installation and performance. M.Phil thesis, The University of Hong Kong. A multimodal approach to creativity.
Dawn-joy Leong 