Downtime Interview w/ Ming Nomchong
“ I found a fluidity in working with my own imagery, dissecting and reassembling it, placing it with other imagery to explore new meanings and ideas”
— Ming Nomchong, 2026
1) LOCATION?
Byron Bay - NSW, Australia 🇦🇺
2) HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH COLLAGE?
5 years. I started when I was collecting imagery for my book - PACIFIC - I was trying to find new ways of presenting my past photographs to create new ideas from past work.
3) WHY IS COLLAGE AN APPEALING MEDIUM?
My interest for collage came from a desire to create unique works from my photography practice. I found a fluidity in working with my own imagery, dissecting and reassembling it, placing it with other imagery to explore new meanings and ideas. I love that multiple different images can come together to create a new idea or focus that only exists in that space.
4) WHO ARE THE BIGGEST INFLUENCES?
I'm heavily influenced by the coastal/oceanic landscape of Australia and the greater pacific regions that we are lucky enough to call home. I'm inspired by nature and all its intricate textures and patterns - they make me want to look so close they dissolve into themselves.
With my process, I definitely reach for inspiration on how to convey my thoughts and ideas into my works and I'm sometimes influenced by certain processes used by fellow creatives. The WWW is great for new ideas and seeing how other people do things. I'll sometimes adapt certain aspects of different workflows that work within my ideas and explorations to help me define my vision and visual language. I often look to artists like Katrien Deblauwer, Raney Davis, Ibi Ibrahim, Sascha Satchi & Anna Niskanen as I admire all their different processes.
5) ANALOG VS DIGITAL, WHAT ARE THE PROS & CONS OF EACH?
Both have their place in the world but there is something that hits differently for me with analogue. I use a predominantly analogue workflow from start to finish which for me, it helps define my work as being mine - I shoot, hand-print, and then collage my own work - there is something about the analogue process that has such a nostalgic feeling to it, making me slow down and be really present.
6) WHAT ARE THREE TIPS FOR SOMEONE STARTING OUT IN COLLAGE?
1. Try not to think too hard and tap into a feeling about what feels and looks right on the page. When I get into the flow I stop thinking and it becomes so intuitive that my hands start to work independently from my brain.
2. Just start cutting and placing and moving until it feels right.
3. If something doesn't work out, don't worry you might use it in something later down the track.
7) HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR DOWNTIME?
Surfing, hanging with the fam & friends, beach walks with my dog, shell fossicking and eating dumplings on Sundays.
8) WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR ART PRACTICE HEADING?
To a place where I don't have to do anything else with my working week other than make art.
Being 6 at the beach, Analogue Collage, 51x41cm
9) WHICH THREE ARTISTS SHOULD WE CHECK OUT?
Jesse Willems @jessewillems
Katrien De Blauwer @katriendeblauwer
Pacifico Silano @pacifico_photo
10) WHAT MUSIC ARE YOU LOVING RIGHT NOW?
Acid Jazz and 90's lounge music and Afro Psychedelica
11) ANY UP-AND-COMING EXHIBITIONS OR PROJECTS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?
I've got a couple of new collections in the works for the galleries (Hake House (SYD)/ Leighton Contemporary (NOOSA) & Sunday Salon (MELB) coming later this year and I'm aiming to have a solo show next year in Sydney...But watch this space.
See more 👀
Instagram: @ming_nomchong
mingnomchong.com
