Biography

Desmond Mah / 马福民 (b. 1974, Singapore; Singaporean-Australian, works between Whadjuk Country, Western Australia and Singapore) draws on the aesthetics of natural history illustration to examine colonial narratives. His work prompts broader conversations on decolonisation, cultural memory, and the politics of representation. Through his paintings, Mah addresses the entrenched structures of othering that sustain ideas of superiority and control, along with the systems and ideologies that uphold them. Incorporating expanded elements such as QR-linked audio, his practice creates immersive experiences. This multidisciplinary approach is shaped by his ADHD, which favours experimentation over routine.

Mah earned a BA (Hons) in Painting from Loughborough University, UK (1998), supported by a Lee Foundation (Singapore) scholarship, and a diploma from LaSalle College of the Arts, Singapore (1997). Prior to beginning his practice in 2017, he worked in art education (secondary schools) and horticulture. Of Hainanese, Kinmen, and Singaporean descent, Mah migrated to Australia as a teenager in the 1980s, a period of heightened hostility towards the Asian diaspora in Boorloo.

Mah's achievements include the E.SUN Bank Special Selection Prize (Taiwan, 2022) and the Southern Buoy Studios Portrait Prize (Australia, 2021). He has been awarded grants and participated in numerous exhibitions, residencies, and commissions, notably the Fremantle Arts Centre Studio Program (2023) and two Red Gate Residencies (Beijing, 2018). His works are held in notable collections. Exhibition highlights include Inside-Out Art Museum (Beijing, 2025), the Collie Art Prize 2025 finalist and the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial at Mossenson Galleries (Australia, 2024).

A Kampong village dwelling,
Kampong Bahru, Singapore, 1970s.
Mah's childhood experience.
Photo: nas.gov.sg

6 months' studio residency with Fremantle Arts Centre, Moores
Studio Space (2023)

Winner, Special Selection Award,
E.SUN Bank Awards 3rd Edition,
Taipei (Dec 2022)