To paraphrase Gertrude Stein: Malaysia is my country, but Singapore is my city.
My relationship with photography started at the age of 10 when I got a Kodak Instamatic box camera from my dad as a birthday gift.
My very first photos are of my pets. I was curious about them and wanted to understand more about them. The camera came in handy.
One can put your mind to making art but if you are not spiritually ready, I don’t think the work could be considered art. Making art is a process and almost like a pilgrimage of sorts.
We cannot short circuit the processes of improvement and exploration with material wealth, although perhaps it could make the process more comfortable. But comfort could be a hindrance as well.
I think one would have to master the craft of an art form before embarking on the journey towards art. Art only happens when the craft becomes invisible, unconscious and thus forgotten.
I took a path following my heart and instincts, not knowing where it would lead me. So it is a very pleasant surprise to know that my work is appreciated by my peers and the artistic community in Singapore.
I am not good at drawing.
Some photos grow on the viewer over time and as long as they are made with a purity of intent, for me, they are memorable. A photo I would favor would be one that can stand the test of time through repeated viewings, offering different possibilities each time.
People like Andre Tarkovsky, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Abbas Kiarostami, Ingmar Bergman and Salvador Dali, as well as the authors of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese Literature, are my spiritual mentors. They all contributed in one way or another towards helping us observe the world in a different light and to understand the complexities of being human.
Singapore has the talent and infrastructure to make good art. It just takes more time for the nation as a whole to mature, and artists as a subset of that whole have to have the temerity to voice their thoughts and create work that is relevant and that resonates with their zeitgeist.
Time and the freedom to explore, criticize, make mistakes and create are all our society needs. Art needs time.
We cannot short circuit the processes of improvement and exploration with material wealth, although perhaps it could make the process more comfortable. But comfort could be a hindrance as well.
I have spent more than half of my adult life in Singapore. I had my formative years in Malaysia and started my career in Singapore. So both places are part of my being. I can’t choose one or the other.
Art came much later in my life and was also much more gradual because I think one cannot choose to do art—it has to come naturally to the individual.
I have no regrets following my heart. Like all things in life, we can plan but we can never know the final outcome.
In 10 years, hopefully I will still be doing the things I love doing and have my place in the sun.
The furthest I’ve ever gone for a picture is Rio de Janeiro. But I’ve also pushed myself mentally to the limit.
