TWELVE CREATIVES – INCLUDING SOME OF FEMALE’S CLOSEST COLLABORATORS – GIVE US THEIR PERSPECTIVE THROUGH NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED WORKS THAT REFLECT THEIR FRAME OF MIND MID-CIRCUIT BREAKER.
TWELVE CREATIVES – INCLUDING SOME OF FEMALE’S CLOSEST COLLABORATORS – GIVE US THEIR PERSPECTIVE THROUGH NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED WORKS THAT REFLECT THEIR FRAME OF MIND MID-CIRCUIT BREAKER.
STEFAN KHOO, photographer and frequent collaborator with Female
The work
“The guy in these images is Charles, a dear friend who I grew up with, and was my first muse and the first person I ever shot. He always came to mind during my earlier photography assignments because he possessed this confidence and spontaneity. We have all evolved since and these photos are part of an ongoing project that another close collaborator and I are working on to define masculinity in Singapore, taken 12 years after I had last shot Charles. Again, he was the first person who I thought of when embarking on this series. It was not so much for nostalgia’s sake though, but because working with him reminds me of that period of exploration, and spirit of fun, curiosity and freedom we had when we were younger. These photos were taken in the middle of nowhere in the wee hours of the night with my car’s headlights as the main light source – only for my car’s battery to go flat after. (We had to get another friend to come help us out of our predicament.) It was silly, but we had fun and still laugh about it. So, here’s to more late night adventures and brighter days ahead.”
On what’s essential to him
“Living life in its full spectrum of ups and downs, pain and joy, is essential to me. It makes me feel alive and reminds me of my reality, and that drives my work as a photographer.”
KHAIRULLAH RAHIM, multi-disciplinary artist whose signature assemblages often incorporate found and everyday objects sourced from spaces in which marginalised communities inhabit
The work
“During the circuit breaker, I developed a series of accidental assemblages with materials lying around in my bedroom that were meant to be thrown out. This piece, Untitled (circuit breaker exercise #3), is one of several from this body of experimental works. Upon close inspection, viewers may notice familiar objects like cardboard boxes and masking tape, drawing parallels to my recent exhibition, Gathering Of Flocks (that saw Khairullah transform the mundane into ornate sculptures, making one re-evaluate their worth).”
On how essential the arts is
“I don’t know if art should be considered essential, but I strongly feel that it can and has been pivotal in providing a vehicle to trigger action towards solving basic human issues. From sparking discourse on dire issues to providing entertainment and leisure as coping mechanisms, art has been central in problem-solving, especially now.”
ELSA WONG, photographer and member of fashion collective Youths In Balaclava
The work
“I shot this series of images for a book titled An Intimate Orchestra: The Anatomy and its Mechanics that I created for my final-year project as a Fashion Media and Industries student at Lasalle College of the Arts. The book’s premise: An individual’s body is very much like an organic machine with both an empathetic side and a more mechanical side that helps keep it alive and upright. In a way, it is like a show for one; an intimate and tenacious orchestra (and the book set out to express this visually). I was very hands-on with the project, creating the garments and props. I was unafraid to carry out my plans even though I was on a student budget. It all reminds me of the tenacious spirit my friends and I had in school, finding ways to achieve our big ideas with nothing seeming impossible. I think this spirit applies to any challenge and it motivates me in a situation like this pandemic, when one should all the more step outside of one’s comfort zone. It’s possible to be creative in any situation and find inspiration anywhere.”
AIWEI FOO, multi-disciplinary artist and one-half of The Picnic, an art studio specialising in conceptual experiences that bring people together
The work
“This piece is part of a series called Daily Hat Objects, and is both a ‘sketch’ and part of my research for another series I’m working on about hat design. During the lockdown, utilising the available resources around me became obligatory not only because of the circumstances, but also because I’ve always loved improvising and being spontaneous when working. The results might seem irrelevant and useless, but what I hope to do is offer another perspective on how we can form new relationships with the objects around us in a light-hearted manner.”
On how essential the arts is
“It is only essential if it provides a certain form of support to the social structure. Art is not leisure; its role is to support our human software on an emotional and spiritual level.”
On how the industry should evolve
“Regardless of artistic discipline, I hope that artists and creatives will start to think about how we can use art as a pragmatic tool for functionality in everyday life.”
DIVAAGAR, visual artist whose practice involves exploring identities and the human body through a deeply personal reimagination of physical spaces and environments
The work
“This is a still from a video that I’m working on, currently titled Alive Stream. It’s inspired by guided meditation videos and how most of them stem from a connection to something larger. Most often these videos feature meditation journeys based in natural settings like forests and bodies of water. (My video is meant to show how, in times of a circuit breaker or lockdown), when we can’t connect to such elements, what we do have are simulations from various media that can provide us similar comfort.”
On what’s essential to him
“A good number of rules and constraints create ideal conditions for art. Total freedom only begets procrastination.”
On how essential the arts is
“As I sat up in bed watching Netflix today, procrastinating to answer these questions, I thought about how important having distractions from our current situation is. There’s a lot of talk about social distancing and I think art can offer a great distraction for people stuck at home, whether through producing or consuming it. Similarly digital media can be incredibly unifying – great in times of isolation and for providing comfort to people in essential work. I’ve noticed on supermarket runs that delivery people and taxi drivers all turn to their phones when waiting for the next job to come in (so creativity on this platform is very important).”
SHAWNA WU, New York-based Taiwanese artist who works with textile-based materials, exploring their relationship with the human body and the environment
The work
“The photo above was taken by my grandpa in the ’70s as part of his work – he was then Taiwan’s minister of agriculture and his job included visiting farms and documenting and checking up on the health of plants and produce around Taiwan. The image opposite features my own work: harnesses created using Chinese knotting techniques and a new form of sustainably made textile. The finished pieces recontextualise something traditional onto queer bodies, simultaneously celebrating and radicalising custom. During this period, I’ve been reflecting more so than ever on work that I truly value. I’ve always seen what I do as part of a lineage that I inherited, treasure and want to elaborate on, and I want to create work that expresses what it means to be part of a richly connected human life. I also really love and miss my grandpa.”
On how the pandemic has impacted her
“I love how it’s given us the opportunity for more introspection and breathing space; the opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate caregivers, and to expose how society creates ruinous systems abusing and exploiting the underprivileged. I think these are all amazing opportunities that make us refocus our value systems and create spiritually uplifting work. Personally, I’m reminded of the meaningfulness of garments and textiles that are rooted in the community, where people take precedence over commerce and superfluousness.”
ALLISON M LOW, artist beloved for her intricate and surreal illustrations.
The work
“There’s the saying that the world is one’s oyster. As a young girl, it implied to me that there would be treasures for the taking. Inside an oyster, pearls materialise through a process that seems akin to some form of arcane magic. I liked the idea of these mysterious inner workings, that produced only beautiful things; ultimately, things that are coveted for their inherent value. As an adult, I’d considered the inadvertent vulnerabilities that come with such a position. There is a duality to being in possession of things that others desire, but in the end, it still seems a happier exchange to have something to offer the world instead, especially at a time like this. Perhaps art is my tiny offering.”
On how essential the arts is
“Art will always be essential as a practice. Artists create for themselves just as much as they create for the public and artists will always find a way to share their work. Although social media is one of the avenues we use now, the traditional creative industry so to speak still plays a part in giving creatives a level of visibility in the commercial arena. Furthermore there are those who remain reliant on it to maintain a living to keep their practices going or to feed their families. Art in all its forms comforts and connects people. It is also a living creature on its own and will be shared one way or another.”
AIK BENG CHIA, photographer who archives everyday scenes in Singapore life, often using nothing more than his phone
The work
“These photos were taken during the ongoing pandemic, which has really affected the way I take pictures. I used to roam freely on the streets all around Singapore, but now I mainly shoot when I’m out for essential purposes, such as supermarket runs in my neighbourhood. This is my answer to working within limits.”
JASPER TAN, filmmaker who frequently works with Singapore’s most in-demand musicians
The work
“This collage is made up of snippets from the music video of Stay Home – a single featuring 14 local artistes including Iman Fandi, Shye and Fariz Jabba that’s meant to offer a note of encouragement during this circuit breaker period. I directed it via Zoom by getting most of the artistes to position their phones like a webcam and sharing my art direction over it. Each snippet would then get edited immediately after the musicians sent them over via Telegram or Google Drive (because the time I had to put this together was very short). At the start, I was worried about how the video would turn out since I wasn’t able to be present to film or check on lighting or angles. Through this project though, I’ve realised that anything is possible.”
CHUCK REYES, Manila-born, Paris-based fashion photographer who once called Singapore home and is a frequent collaborator with Female
The work
“In the time that I’ve been in lockdown, I’ve thought a lot about my priorities in the work that I do, the nature and purpose of fashion photography and my place in it. In wanting to slow down my creative process and take more control over my image-making, I’ve recently returned to shooting on film – something that I’ve not done since the earliest days of my career. With processing labs closed, I had to go back even further and shoot everything in black and white then develop the film myself, just as I did during my art school days. (Thankfully photo supply stores are still taking online orders for film.) This portrait of my wife Philae was shot, processed, scanned and edited without leaving my apartment. There was no makeup artist, hairstylist or even clothes involved - we fashioned her look using thing lying around the house: blankets, yoga mats. Is this a fashion image? Before Covid-19, that would be arguable. However if the true purpose of a fashion image is to offer insight into the lives of people at a specific time and place in history via what they’re wearing in the photo , the answer might be different.”
ELIZABETH GABRIELLE LEE, London-based artist, researcher and writer whose work explores power structures and alternative narratives
The work
“This photograph is part of We’ve Got The Sun Under Our Skin (Lee’s ongoing series that aims to ‘disarm the colonial rhetoric echoed in the imperial literature of British Malaya’). It was taken in the winter, just after the rain when I was looking for a spot in the sun. There was a puddle the colour of milk tea – clearly full of nasties but it looked beautiful anyway. I placed the ball of jasmine flowers I had in the puddle and it stayed afloat just long enough for me to fire the shutter. I’m fond of a fleeting moment and maybe that’s also how I see this pandemic: a passing cloud.”
On how essential the arts is
“Art is a sensing tool and we need it more than ever in this mercurial time to help us feel our way around things. We need a more empathetic structure in the creative industry so that us practitioners can continue to understand and be critical of the environment we’re embedded in. We need to not only be able to access, but also feel that there is a safe, supported space to continue making work.”
BENITA LEONG, photographer, artist and music enthusiast currently based in Toronto
The work
“This is a collage of self-portraits distorted then pieced together in an analogue, experimental style. This pandemic and being confined to the limited space of my room for most hours have seen the divide between work and life blur, and life slipping closer into disarray. As my circadian rhythm becomes more erratic, the ritual of getting dressed for school and work becomes a personal indicator of time, place and my ideal mental state. When everything is in chaos and yearning for what is lost becomes natural, these routines become a grounding force in feeling in control – even if the performance of normalcy is only for an audience of one.”
On how the industry should evolve
“I hope that the barriers to formal entry into the art industry will be lowered. It’s encouraging to see funds and grants by heavyweights and gatekeeping companies flow more generously during this period, specifically aiding gender and racial minorities. Residencies have also gone online with requisite fees discounted. With formal institutions forced into distance and online learning, it seems like most education has become independent. I hope then that the industry will see the value of non-formal qualifications, where artists are self-taught.”
