Fringe Gallery
Conversation with the artist: 20 January 2018, 2pm ION Art Gallery, Level 4, ION Orchard
Fringe Commission ● World Premiere
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Conversation with the artist: 20 January 2018, 2pm ION Art Gallery, Level 4, ION Orchard
Fringe Commission ● World Premiere
Share
Charmaine Poh is a Singaporean-Chinese documentary photographer and artist whose works are concerned with memory, gender, youth, and solitude.
Singapore is well known for its highly developed market economy, which thrives on avowed meritocracy and high levels of competitiveness. Yet, despite the veneer of social mobility, there are labour sectors which are reliant on the persistence of traditional expectations of how women should appear, speak, and act.
Through exploring industries related to physical beauty, this photographic series uses the tradition of documentary storytelling to consider the pressures placed on women's bodies and the performativity of gender.
All In Her Day's Work gathers narratives from working women as a way to open up possible new perspectives of the “ideal beauty” that many of them strive for.
Presented with support from ION Art, ION Orchard and Cultural Matching Fund.
With Let’s Walk, Amanda Heng sought to create a dialogue about the beauty industry and the pressures faced by women to conform to it. The beauty industry in Singapore, and in Asia in general, is one that continues to grow, and projects specific and narrow definitions of beauty.
Despite advocates pressing for diversity, a large majority of women still conform, in various degrees, to standards of beauty that require a large amount of spending power, time, and sacrifice.
A photographic series that explores the visual culture surrounding the beauty industry has not been done before, which is surprising considering how these images of beauty have been instrumental in shaping how we view ourselves and the world.
Click here to find the route to ION Art Gallery.
Singapore is well known for its highly developed market economy, which thrives on avowed meritocracy and high levels of competitiveness. Yet, despite the veneer of social mobility, there are labour sectors which are reliant on the persistence of traditional expectations of how women should appear, speak, and act.
Through exploring industries related to physical beauty, this photographic series uses the tradition of documentary storytelling to consider the pressures placed on women's bodies and the performativity of gender.
All In Her Day's Work gathers narratives from working women as a way to open up possible new perspectives of the “ideal beauty” that many of them strive for.
Presented with support from ION Art, ION Orchard and Cultural Matching Fund.
RELATION TO THEME
With Let’s Walk, Amanda Heng sought to create a dialogue about the beauty industry and the pressures faced by women to conform to it. The beauty industry in Singapore, and in Asia in general, is one that continues to grow, and projects specific and narrow definitions of beauty.
Despite advocates pressing for diversity, a large majority of women still conform, in various degrees, to standards of beauty that require a large amount of spending power, time, and sacrifice.
A photographic series that explores the visual culture surrounding the beauty industry has not been done before, which is surprising considering how these images of beauty have been instrumental in shaping how we view ourselves and the world.
Charmaine Poh is a Singaporean-Chinese documentary photographer and artist whose works are concerned with memory, gender, youth, and solitude.
Getting Here
Click here to find the route to ION Art Gallery.