“Held in the Middle”, jointly organised by UOL Group Limited (UOL) and ART:DIS (Arts & Disability) Singapore, is the debut solo exhibition by artist Christian Tan, overall winner of the UOL X ART:DIS Art Prize 2025.

Featuring a collection of about 30 linocut prints, the exhibition brings together works inspired by Christian’s familiar objects and interests – from cleaning tools, workstations and chairs to pop stars – as reflections of labour, rest, aspiration and joy.

As winner of the grand prize at the UOL X ART:DIS Art Prize 2025, Christian was awarded the opportunity to stage this solo exhibition, which is the largest presentation of his practice to date.

Curated by John Tung, “Held in the Middle” invites audiences to consider the patterns of daily life that often go unnoticed: the work that keeps spaces clean, the seats that allow bodies to rest, and the songs and personalities that fill moments of pleasure and escape. Through Christian’s art, these familiar things are brought into focus, held between use and affection, function and feeling.

Christian’s award-winning set of three prints, Red Plumbing Set, Yellow Broom and Floor Scrubbing, reflects his experience working as a cleaner, capturing the tools and gestures of labour through his linocut practice. Created using layered reduction printing, the works transform these tools into considered compositions, highlighting the dignity and value of labour that is often overlooked. The three prints will be featured alongside works spanning his practice.

Introduced to linocut printmaking in 2019, Christian has developed a visual language marked by bold outlines, vivid colours and a sensitivity to the things that shape his daily life. He draws inspiration from the objects, people and experiences around him, working primarily with linocut printing, which involves carving images into linoleum before printing them onto paper.

“I’m happy to have my first solo exhibition. I enjoy making linocut prints and drawing things I see and like. I hope visitors will look at these familiar things in a new way. I’m thankful to UOL and ART:DIS for supporting me and excited to share my work with more people,” shares Christian.

“Held in the Middle” runs from 1 to 11 October 2026 at Objectifs, a visual arts centre at Middle Road. Admission is free.

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm to 7pm
Sunday, 12pm to 4pm.
The exhibition will be closed on Mondays and public holidays.

Christian Tan (b. 1994)
Christian Tan is an autistic artist and printmaker with ART:DIS. An observant and expressive artist, his practice draws inspiration from the everyday. With a discerning eye for line and form, he transforms ordinary objects into images that are at once direct and resonant. He demonstrates fluency across both wet and dry techniques, employing reduction processes that lend his works a layered depth. His art resists ornamentation, opting instead for clarity and strength of imagery that speaks to personal experience and the textures of daily life.

About UOL’s Inclusive Arts Support
UOL has championed inclusive arts since 2014, recognising art as a powerful platform for expression and empowerment. UOL has supported ART:DIS for more than a decade and, in 2023, commissioned the UOL X ART:DIS Art Prize as the Group’s flagship corporate social responsibility programme to mark UOL’s 60th anniversary. The second edition in 2025 received more than 570 submissions, up from over 300 in the inaugural edition, with 18 winning artworks showcased at ION Art Gallery before travelling to UOL’s malls and hotel, reaching more than one million visitors. UOL’s longstanding commitment to the arts was also recognised with its fifth consecutive Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award this year.