Introduction

Slow Cool Breezes looks at the domestic lives of Singaporeans. The work examines how our homes and lives are shaped by possessions that preserve our experiences and influences, and by our relationships, families and priorities. Coupled with imagery of exterior residential spaces that reflect and mould our interactions with others, Slow Cool Breezes captures a social landscape revisited. 

About the Exhibition

“Having been away for the last twelve years, I find Singapore a place that is all too familiar, and yet so very foreign. In 2009, I photographed and interviewed men and women in my age range – in their late twenties to early forties. Introduced to me by friends and relatives, these people invited me into their homes, and lives. Chatting about topics ranging from their day-to-day rituals, to thoughts about education, migrants and family, they helped me get an idea of how a small segment of society might see their lives, and reacquaint myself with Singapore. 
 
I photographed people in parts of their homes that seemed to make sense. I set up my lights, but didn’t direct them. As with my previous work, I looked for the intersection of lighting, emotion and context, as people maneuvered within the space.
 
In addition to my visits with people, I roamed a Singapore familiar to me, photographing what is derelict, what is still standing, and what is new.
 
My photography allows me to examine how people choose to live within their immediate social, cultural, and historical environment. Slow Cool Breezes is an introduction to what I now feel about my birthplace, as I try to make sense of it with my photography, and through the people I meet.”