Ong attended Malvern Girls' College in the United Kingdom. She studied architecture at the Bartlett Centre in University College London from 1996 to 1999. From 1999 to 2003 she attended Goldsmiths College at the University of London under a S$100,000 (Approximately: US$60,000) scholarship, the highest amount able to be awarded, from the Shell-NAC Arts Scholarship of Singapore.
Among her most notable works are:
Secret Interiors: Chrysalis (2006) which explore the secret hidden desires of four fictitious personas. This was exhibited at the Singapore Biennale and soon to be at the Moscow Biennale in 2007.
Palace of Dreams (2004), a work involving intricate drawings of insects and a mahogany desk transformed into a plane, referencing fairy tales and childhood dreams.
Doctor Auctor (2003), a photographic work of 24 pictures in film noir style. This was the winner of the Sefton Open Competition in 2D Art.
Sing O Barren Woman (2002) a mixed media installation art piece.
Alpha Omega (1998) a sculpture of a dying woman giving birth.
Singapore writers festival 2011 donna ong
Awards
Prudential Eye Awards, Greater Asia. Best Emerging Artist Using Installation (2015)
NAC Young Artist Award, Singapore. (2009).
Sefton Open Competition in 2D Art, UK. (2003). Holding the distinction of being the first ever photographic art piece to win the prize.
Shell-NAC Scholarship, Singapore. (1999).
Michelle Knight Art Prize, Malvern Girls' College, UK. (1998).
