Personal Projects

When we arrived in Singapore in the summer of 2022, our real estate agent sent a list of apartments. One of them, she noted, was “in Katong.” I didn’t know what that meant, but liked the apartment. The rental market was insane that near, and we had to decide quickly. Which is how we found ourselves living in one of Singapore’s most vibrant urban neighbourhoods.

The previous 2.5 years had been brutal, both personally and globally, and my health was not the best. As I navigated the heaviness of everything that was still unresolved from those years, the little details in the streets around my home, especially Joo Chiat, brought pockets of joy. The bright pinks of the bougainvillea, the colourful shophouses, street murals and remnants of traditional businesses all helped to regenerate my creative energy and inspire me to pick up my camera again. Although I didn’t realise it when I started the project, these photos are about that process.

What I was more conscious of from the start was a desire to investigate the pace of change, the diverse cultural influences and unique mix of timeless and trendy which sit side by side in this constantly evolving neighbourhood. Maybe it’s a cliché, but change is the only constant in life. Located close to the equator, Singapore doesnt’ have seasons; the cycles of birth, death, regeneration and decay are all accelerated and take place simultaneously both in nature and in the urban environment.