Biography
Cindy Ng Sio Leng is a pioneering ink artist whose large-scale, immersive works have redefined the possibilities of the traditional Chinese ink medium. Born in Macau in 1966, she studied printmaking at the Academy of Visual Arts in Macao before moving to London in 1990, where she studied etching under Bartholomeu dos Santos, the Head of the Department of Etching at the Slade School of Fine Arts at University College London, and was mentored by artist James Wong.
Although trained in printmaking and etching, Ng discovered her true creative passion in 1992 when she turned to ink as her primary medium. Working in Beijing, she developed an approach that lets water and ink splash and flow freely across vast sheets of paper, transforming mountains, gullies, and waves into poetic landscapes born of pure artistic will. Through decades of experimentation, she has become a master not only of abstract ink painting but of its material possibilities, mixing materials, varying temperatures, consistencies, and thicknesses to achieve effects that push the medium far beyond its classical boundaries.
Ng spent three years as an artist in residence at the British Museum, an experience that deepened her engagement with the historical continuum of ink art. Since then, she has expanded into photography, video art, and pioneering NFT works, while maintaining ink as the foundation of her practice. In 2003, she innovated the use of traditional Chinese gloss on canvas, opening yet another dimension of her artistic exploration.
Her solo exhibitions include presentations at Today Art Museum in Beijing, Seattle Art Museum, the Ju Ming Museum in Taiwan, the Taipa Houses Museum in Macao, and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. She has regularly shown with Ora-Ora gallery at Art Basel Hong Kong. Her works are installed at the Grand Kempinski Hotel in Shanghai, the Peninsula Hotel in Paris, and the Four Seasons Hotel Pudong in Shanghai.
Ng is represented by Ronin Gallery in New York and continues to live and work in Beijing.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1966
- Nationality
- 🇨🇳China
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
- Subjects
- Abstract
- Works Indexed
- 16
Frequently Asked Questions
Cindy Ng Sio Leng is a pioneering ink artist whose large-scale, immersive works have redefined the possibilities of the traditional Chinese ink medium. Born in Macau in 1966, she studied printmaking at the Academy of Visual Arts in Macao before moving to London in 1990, where she studied etching under Bartholomeu dos Santos, the Head of the Department of Etching at the Slade School of Fine Arts at University College London, and was mentored by artist James Wong.
Cindy Ng Sio Leng was active born in 1966. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.
Cindy Ng Sio Leng's work was shaped by the Contemporary Mokuhanga tradition in Japanese woodblock printmaking. Contemporary Mokuhanga: Contemporary mokuhanga (literally "wood-block print") encompasses artists working from approximately 1970 to the present who continue or reinvent traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques.
Cindy Ng Sio Leng's prints frequently feature abstract.
Cindy Ng Sio Leng is a gallery-represented printmaker whose work has been shown at established galleries specializing in contemporary Japanese prints. Gallery representation provides a consistent market. Prices range from $150 for smaller works to $3,000 for major compositions. Most prints sell in the $300–$1000 range. Gallery representation provides curated exposure and supports steady demand.
