Urip Iku Urup – Life is like a flame

Singapore is well-known around the world for its multi-racialism which consists of a few main races such as Indians, Chinese and Malay. It is known that the Chinese race can be broken down into further groups such as Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, and Hakka. Though this knowledge is common in Singapore, not many know that the Malay race can be broken down to different groups too, like the Chinese. Majority of the Malay race consists of Singaporeans whose ancestry comes from Indonesia such as the Javanese, Boyanese, Bugis and Minangkabaus.

This project aims to tell a narrative of a family of Javanese heritage living in modern Singapore through the medium of Batik. Its designs are filled with different motifs and colour to represent the stories that were shared during the interviews with the chosen individuals from 4 different generations. A zine book will also assist in describing the information of the Batik and the video interview will aid with the understanding of the stories shared.

TY • SRY • LUV U

TY • SRY • LUV U

Understanding the significance of universal words of expression and its place in Singaporean culture

 

Through a typographic mural installation, documentary film and editorial design, this project questions the meanings and applied impacts of three universally known but deceptively simple phrases: “Thank you”, “I’m sorry, please forgive me” and “I love you”. This project seeks to further understand the underlying value of how these phrases are expressed in family units, by engaging young adults in an open conversation. Ultimately, the project aims to inspire a higher quality of positive communication in the home, by propelling viewers to reconsider the meanings and profound impacts of speaking these words in day-to-day conversations with their kin.

Stories from Atuk

My grandfather and I are both huge fans of P.Ramlee films. When I was little, my family used to watch the films together with my grandfather in the living room of his apartment. Very often he would document and review the films creating a collection of books titled Buku Sinaran. Weaving in his family narratives into the film reviews, the result is a poetic family archive that I used as the foundation of this project. Stories from Atuk is a re-enactment of this experiential journey, re-archiving into a series of publications consisting of illustrations, collage and family recollections.