SINGAPORE – Of late, Singapore landmarks have been sparking a creative renaissance among artists and inspiring a range of visual art forms from cinematography to reportage sketching.

In September, landscape photographer Peter Zaman released a monograph entirely in black and white about Singapore’s colonial-era black-and-white bungalows.

Titled The Black & White Project – Unseen Landscapes Of Singapore, the glossy coffee-table tome moves away from showing the interiors of these houses, and instead focuses on the landscapes and surrounding heritage trees.

Another project is a mini-film about the appeal of the Jalan Besar area in the 1960s. The tautly edited 90-second video is shot by architectural photographer and film-maker Benny Loh, who in 2022 released a mini-documentary on the quirky tenants of Peninsula Shopping Centre.

“I’m researching and developing a script for a longer documentary on the Jalan Besar area, which will also look at how migrant workers find sanctuary there,” he says.

Besides print and film, there are also urban illustrations by independent artists, such as illustrator Lee Xin Li, who release their works online; and urban sketching groups such as Urban Sketchers SG (USKSG), a local affiliate of a global community that engages in reportage sketching, or sketching on-location.

Mr Darren Soh is excited by this burst of creativity and interest in Singapore’s urban spaces. He started out about 20 years ago as a full-time independent photographer with a special interest in architectural and landscape photography.

“Two decades back, there were only a handful of specialised photographers dedicated solely to architecture, and even fewer who focused extensively on vernacular spaces such as Housing Board flats.

“I felt that was something I wanted to do in a country where change is the only constant,” says Mr Soh, who obtained a degree in sociology from the National University of Singapore in 2001 while also working as a contract photographer for The Straits Times.

“With more individuals and groups choosing to focus on architecture as their subject, hopefully this also means that the man on the street will come to appreciate our built environment more than before,” he adds.

USKSG practises “plein air art” – French for “sketching in the open air” – where people organise themselves into groups outdoors to capture the spirit and essence of a part of the landscape.

Founded in Singapore in 2009, it has grown over the years and its groups today number between 50 and 80 sketchers at monthly meetings.

For others who like sketching from photographs and imagination rather than on-location, there is another sketching group called Singapore Sketchers, founded in 2020 by Mr Ong Whee Teck, who also sketches with USKSG groups.

His group today has more than 2,500 members, who post their works on the group’s social media platforms, mainly Facebook (str.sg/iN4b).

“The reason I started Singapore Sketchers was to allow the sketching community to post their work online, share their creative works and enjoy one another’s sketches, especially the different interpretations of what they see and observe in their lives,” says Mr Ong, 54, a technology consulting partner at accounting and consulting firm Ernst & Young.

In October, he organised the group’s first Singapore Sketchers Convention in collaboration with the National Library Board. He is preparing for an exhibition from Nov 17 to 19.

“Many of us try to capture memories, not with a mobile phone but by observation, by spending time looking and appreciating architecture as well as urban spaces,” adds Mr Ong.

“The key is sketching our memories, sketching to express ourselves and sketching as a hobby that we can keep regardless of skills or age.”

The Straits Times looks at the talent telling urban stories in a range of art forms.

Documenting Singapore’s urban stories

Photographer and author Darren Soh

Documenting the constant change in Singapore’s urban landscape has become a mission for Mr Darren Soh, one of Singapore’s most sought-after architectural photographers.

The 47-year-old started his independent photography practice in 2001, but focused on architecture only in 2006.

Today, he is a visual archivist, researcher and author who shares a mix of commissioned and personal work.

He is also conversant with the history of architecture and buildings in Singapore – from the celebrated, such as Golden Mile Complex, to the vernacular and everyday, such as Housing Board flats.

“My approach to architecture comes from a place of curiosity with questions such as why something was built the way it was all those years ago, as well as why HDB blocks are designed in a particular way and what has changed over the years,” says Mr Soh.

He also works closely with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on education and outreach programmes regarding Singapore’s built environment; and the Singapore Land Authority in documenting sites about to undergo significant changes or to be demolished and redeveloped.

Besides writing and contributing to several architectural monographs in recent years, such as Before It All Goes: Architecture From Singapore’s Early Independence Years (2018), his works have also crossed over into the realm of art.

In June, some of his photographic works were selected as part of an exhibition organised by local art salon The Culture Story. The exhibition, titled While You Are Sleeping, featured works that challenged the perception of everyday reality.

Instead of showcasing his architectural prints, Mr Soh chose shots of trees, bushes and mangrove plants that exist on the peripheries of one’s vision, but are no less vital to the ecological balance and people’s survival.

“The built environment in Singapore changes at an alarming rate,” says Mr Soh, who is married to author and educator Melanie Lee, 44. The couple have an 11-year-old son.

“We cannot possibly conserve every single old building, but we can definitely make sure that we properly document those we cannot save, so that future generations of Singaporeans may have images to remind them of what the country was once like.”

Info: See Mr Soh’s work at fb.com/darrensohphotographer on Facebook and @darrensohphoto on Instagram

Shining a light on the environment

Photographer and cinematographer Finbarr Fallon

Britain-born Finbarr Fallon, who is adept in architectural photography as well as cinematography, moved to Singapore seven years ago to start his studio, Finbarr Fallon Creative Office.

Aside from commercial photography, the 31-year-old keeps busy with documentary projects which he funds, such as Unit: A Glimpse Into Singapore’s 1970s – ’80s Private Apartments.

The photobook, which he co-authored with urban planner Samantha Chia, gives a glimpse into the apartment interiors in Golden Mile Complex and other private housing estates built here from the 1970s to 1980s.

The initial print run of 1,200, priced at $43 each and released in July 2022, has sold out. Mr Fallon and Ms Chia are working on the second book, slated to be launched in 2024.

“I have been passionate about both architecture and photography from a very young age,” says Mr Fallon, who works in London and Singapore.

His global roster of clients includes big names like technology companies Apple and Dyson, and architecture firms such as Foster + Partners, Bjarke Ingels Studio and Gensler.

“In approaching each space I photograph, I think about the story I want to tell with my images, and the emotional response I hope to evoke from the viewer,” he says.

“The city is constantly evolving at such a rapid pace, which means documentation in any form is highly valuable both as a historic record and a form of memory capture. We forget the past very easily.”

Mr Fallon graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture in London with a master’s in architecture, and was awarded the Bartlett School of Architecture Medal in 2016.

He also received a Silver nomination from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2016 for his thesis work titled Subterranean Singapore 2065, a speculative filmic project which proposes a deep-level masterplan for underground dwelling. 

“While I studied architecture in university, I chose to pursue my love of photography as an architectural photographer,” he says. “My education taught me how to read and understand space in new ways, and this has greatly influenced how I capture space in my images.”

He says his personal photographic work, as seen on his social media accounts, is about “shining a light” on overlooked aspects of our built environment.

“I have had a lifelong fascination with architecture – how buildings are designed and our relationships with them. However, I am equally interested in uncovering the in-between, less intentional spaces within the cityscape that emerge because, or in spite of the design process, and how people use these.”

Info: See Mr Fallon’s work at finbarrfallon.com

Recording the faces and places of the heart

Film-maker and architectural photographer Benny Loh

For the last eight years, film-maker and architectural photographer Benny Loh has been flexing his film-making muscle to build up a catalogue of videos that capture “faces and places of the heart” on his website and social media accounts.

“Short feature films, as well as bite-size, tightly edited videos, are the best ways to capture the range of stories that people living in a bustling metropolis such as Singapore are eager to share with the world,” says the 43-year-old, who runs Studio Zeros, a home-grown architectural photography and video studio which was started in 2015.

A highlight of his portfolio is a recent documentary titled Experiences, which took a peek at the quirky tenant mix in Peninsula Shopping Centre in Coleman Street, one of Singapore’s ageing malls built in the 1970s.

The 10-minute documentary, which was funded by Mr Loh and took about five months to finish in 2022, was also shown at Singapore Art Week that year.

He says it has set the stage for more videography experiments, as well as novel photographic ways to portray interiors and facades for his clients.

In his commercial work, Mr Loh’s clients range from new home owners who want to share their “big reveal” through photographs and short videos to property developers who need to develop visuals and content for upcoming real estate developments.

He is working on a video on Jalan Besar that looks at the enclave as an inclusive urban space where migrant workers can mingle with locals and travellers, as well as where people on the fringes of society can find common ground.

He initially collaborated with OH! Stories (ohstories.sg), a non-profit arts organisation that tells alternative stories of Singapore, but is now working on his own short-form documentary on the precinct.

“After working on visual storytelling of urban spaces such as Peninsula Shopping Centre and Jalan Besar, I feel there is huge potential to craft similar urban vignettes about other places throughout Singapore,” says Mr Loh.

He says he looks at architecture through “layers”. With time, a building becomes like an onion with the storied layers slowly building up and this needs to be shared with the community for a deeper understanding of urban spaces, he adds.

“I hope my films allow people to look at architecture as being similar to onions,” he says with a laugh. “When unravelled, architecture has the ability to make one shed tears. And when it is caramelised with the element of time, it can leave an extra sweet taste in one’s memory.”

Info: For a showcase of Mr Loh’s work, go to str.sg/iN4V

Illustrating architecture to make it relatable

Independent illustrator Lee Xin Li

Prolific urban illustrator and local storyteller Lee Xin Li was hand-picked by European luxury marque Mercedes-Benz AMG to design an engraving that appears at the rear of the Mercedes-AMG G63 Singapore Edition sport utility vehicle.

The special hand-painted car was sold for $1.2 million in September.

Mr Lee, who majored in architecture at National University of Singapore’s School of Design and Environment, goes by the handle “Pok Pok & Away” on social media. He has 26,000 followers on Facebook and 22,700 followers on Instagram.

“Pok Pok & Away started as a reference to a stuffed toy chicken I had from my secondary school days,” he says in an e-mail interview from the Kansai region of Japan, where he is vacationing till end-November.

The 35-year-old full-time artist – who draws inspiration from architecture, heritage and food – has also collaborated with URA since 2015.

One of his art pieces, titled In Our Time, was commissioned by the Singapore Art Museum for the Imaginarium: Into The Space Of Time exhibition in 2018. It is currently part of the permanent exhibition at the URA Centre.

Since then, Mr Lee has worked with diverse clients such as the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of National Development, Land Transport Authority and Singapore Tourism Board.

A common thread in his projects is to help communicate and present Singapore in a more human way, especially when presenting ideas or perspectives that are visually challenging.

For example, architecture – which most of his work is based on– is more relatable to the man in the street via the medium of illustration, which Mr Lee presents through an emphasis on the day-to-day lives of people.

“I started drawing during my childhood, but developed my current style and work while I was still in university,” he says.

His architectural illustrations are inspired by the 2011 graphic novel, Jerusalem: Chronicles From The Holy City by Guy Delisle, which made him “go back to drawing and look back at my childhood for inspiration”.

Mr Delisle was influenced by Belgian cartoonist Georges Prosper Remi, also known as “Herge”, who drew The Adventures Of Tintin series.

Mr Lee wanted his illustrations of Singapore to be in the same style, as can be seen in his depictions of Seletar, Pulau Tekong and Neo Tiew Estate.

He says he does not consciously imbue his drawings with a message. “But I appreciate it when viewers find meaning in them, such as when they evoke memories of the place, which resonate with my own recollections.”

Individuals have written to him saying that they were glad he drew a former provision shop in Killiney Road or a house they lived in for years at Mount Pleasant.

“Often, they will describe it with such detail and vividness that I feel I was there too,” he adds. ”When people share these experiences and moments, it makes me feel that the illustration has a greater purpose.”

Info: Go to Mr Lee’s website at leexinli.com, or search for his Pok Pok & Away handles on Facebook, Instagram and Behance

Capturing memories in black and white

Photographer Peter Zaman

Landscape photographer Peter Zaman used the time that he had during the Covid-19 pandemic to keep himself creatively challenged, rather than give in to the gloom and doom.

He zoomed in on a book project which put Singapore’s colonial-era black-and-white houses at the centre of the frame – but with a difference.

Most of the architectural photographs available at the time featured facades and interiors of the houses, but his portfolio also highlighted the surrounding landscapes, which included rolling lawns and tropical flora.

The colloquial term “black and white” is often used to describe colonial-era bungalows in British Malaya, which included Singapore, built from the early 1900s to the late 1930s.

They were mainly for well-heeled expatriate families, members of the colonial administration and senior officers serving in the armed forces, according to books on the subject by architectural historians such as Dr Julian Davison.

When Mr Zaman showed his early shots to friends and associates, their reactions were always the same: “Is this in Singapore?”

That provided the inspiration for the title of his book: The Black & White Project – Unseen Landscapes Of Singapore.

In two years, he amassed more than 300 photos. Sixty-five of these were shortlisted for the book, which was published in September and is now available in local bookshops for about $65.

He also curated 34 photos for an exhibition of the same name which he jointly organised with the National Parks Board, and which is on till Dec 1 at the People’s Gallery exhibition spaces of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

“Landscape photography in Singapore is not easy,” says Mr Zaman, 51, a Britain-born permanent resident who has been a photographer for more than a decade and has lived in Singapore since 2016. He and his British wife have two daughters aged nine and 11.

He adds that Singapore’s location near the Equator makes it difficult to get soft golden-hour light at sunrise or sunset, which landscape photographers look for to enhance their shots.

“To compensate for the harsh light, I pivoted to shooting in black and white. Before shooting, I asked myself why I loved walking past these old colonial bungalows, and the answer was that the beauty of the houses lay not only in their distinctive architecture, but also in their juxtaposition with the landscape,” he says.

Info: For details of the exhibition at Botanic Gardens, go to str.sg/iNok. See Mr Zaman’s photography at pozaman.myportfolio.com

Drawing on location

Urban Sketchers Singapore

Last Saturday, a group of about 50 members of Urban Sketchers Singapore (USKSG) braved rainy weather to meet at the old Toa Payoh Sport Centre in Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, days before its closure on Tuesday for demolition.

In its place, a spanking new 12ha Toa Payoh Integrated Development is slated to open in 2030, comprising a regional sports centre, polyclinic, public library and regional town park.

The proposed development will also have sheltered tennis, futsal and netball courts, swimming pools, indoor sports halls, a gymnasium, a football stadium and fitness studios.

The USKSG sketchers, who are mainly self-taught artists, were armed with pencils, inks and watercolours. They wanted to capture the architecture of the 50-year-old sports complex as well as its Olympic-size swimming pools, where the Southeast Asia Peninsular Games were held in 1973.

Mr Favian Ee, a USKSG committee member, says that the outing – called a “sketchwalk”, and typically organised on the last Saturday of each month – was in response to news of the complex’s closure by SportSG, the lead agency for the new development, together with other government agencies.

“We decided to come down and capture the spirit of this storied sports complex as well as say goodbye,” says Mr Ee, 45. He is an adjunct lecturer at Nanyang Polytechnic and freelance illustrator.

“Urban sketching is very much about capturing memories of the places where we live or travel through,” he adds.

USKSG is the Singapore chapter of Urban Sketchers, a non-profit organisation headquartered in the United States.

The global movement was founded in 2007 by Seattle-based journalist and illustrator Gabriel Campanario, who created an online following for “reportage sketching”, which is part of the group’s manifesto. It refers to drawing on-site instead of from photos or memory.

The local affiliate, which was founded by Madam Tia Boon Sim in 2009, has 50 to 80 people of all ages attending the monthly sketchwalks. The group also meets in small groups once a week.

Anyone can join the monthly sketchwalks for free with his or her own art materials and without having to register.

The Singapore branch has published several books on its members’ works, including its first coffee-table book, Urban Sketchers Singapore Volume 1, in 2011.

Ms Stephanie Ng and her daughter were part of the group who took refuge from the rain inside the sports complex across from the wading pool.

Ms Ng – who is 54 and works at a local bank as an information technology and business analyst – joined the group in 2019. She meets fellow members several times a month for between two and three hours a session. They sketch a wide range of subjects, including architecture, local cuisines and people on-site.

The mother-daughter duo post their work regularly on social media such as Facebook and Instagram.

“Each sketching session is precious ‘me time’, when I don’t think about office work or household chores,” says Ms Ng, who also has two sons aged 15 and 25.

Her daughter Natalie, 24, is an architectural assistant at local firm Laud Architects. She had formal art training in the Art Elective Programme at CHIJ Secondary School from 2012 to 2015, and later graduated with a master’s in architecture from the Singapore University of Technology and Design in 2022.

She joined the group in 2018 and has been sketching about four times a month for around two hours a session.

Although she was taught fundamental drawing techniques, she says it was only when she started urban sketching that she learnt how to draw “live” and on location.

She recalls USKSG’s founder Madam Tia’s explanation about the difference between fine art and urban sketching.

“Madam Tia pointed out that fine art is stricter and more curated while urban sketching is more expressive and has to be done quickly,” she says.

Info: To register, go to instagram.com/usk.sg

Correction note: In a previous version of this article, we called OH! Stories a home-grown content creation studio which focuses on stories rooted in history. It has since clarified that it is a non-profit arts organisation that tells alternative stories of Singapore.