With and Without You (2024)
Commissioned by the Exactly Foundation, please download the full exhibition catalogue here
Commissioned by the Exactly Foundation, please download the full exhibition catalogue here
With and Without You is an intimate exploration of the relationships between Singapore-based individuals, their families, and the foreign domestic workers they employ. It aims to offer an impression of what it is that domestic helpers 'fill up' or 'fill in' for each family they work for, and to ultimately provide suggestions to a less discussed angle -- what 'healthy' or 'good' employment can or should look like, and what are the implications that even good employment has on multiple parties. These images and stories therefore hopefully serve as a foil to the familiar criminal or tragic cases that are circulated in the news and other media. Every family and their employee is approached on the basis that the relations between them are largely positive, such as having harmonious communication, a strong semblance of inclusion, and a clear sense of employee's rights within the home. All parties are first invited to have a candid chat on their reasons for hiring their helper and to reflect on how this has affected their family. The employee is also invited to share their work experiences and reflections on being a domestic helper. Thereafter, photographs will be taken based on the interview content and comfort levels of each family and employee.
The residency format with the Exactly Foundation positions the medium of photography as an expedient catalyst for dialogue; the images in this series were used primarily as a launching pad for dialogue over two sessions with guests from various fields, and also a photo walk with another set of participants. For a fuller experience of the work, please access the exhibition catalogue which contains the following additional material: 1) preambles and short introductions to every participating family 2) detailed captions for every image 3) a keynote essay by historian Dr Loh Kah Seng on the history of foreign domestic work in Singapore 4) visual and written responses from a wide plethora of respondents.
I wish to thank all participating families and employees for sharing your lives so vulnerably in a much-needed conversation about life, labour, and love.
The residency format with the Exactly Foundation positions the medium of photography as an expedient catalyst for dialogue; the images in this series were used primarily as a launching pad for dialogue over two sessions with guests from various fields, and also a photo walk with another set of participants. For a fuller experience of the work, please access the exhibition catalogue which contains the following additional material: 1) preambles and short introductions to every participating family 2) detailed captions for every image 3) a keynote essay by historian Dr Loh Kah Seng on the history of foreign domestic work in Singapore 4) visual and written responses from a wide plethora of respondents.
I wish to thank all participating families and employees for sharing your lives so vulnerably in a much-needed conversation about life, labour, and love.