The moon and the artificial lights create a kaleidoscope of colours that we are unable to experience in the day—they harmonise to illuminate the unseen, giving depth to our world and allowing us to reinterpret our cityscape at night.
This series is shot wholly on film at night to observe the effect of the harmony between the two vastly different light sources. Using the traditional photographic medium, fleeting moments of our fast-paced society that are usually overlooked are now captured—inviting us to slow down and enjoy the otherwise mundane scenes of our environment.
“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
- Albert Einstein
A school assignment depicting war & peace:
Being an emotional individual, the artist tries to contain and control her overwhelming emotions as much as she can to avoid chaos. Does chaos ensue, or does she only find peace when she allows her emotions to take hold?
Installation, 6 nests on 6 wooden pedestals
The plots of land that house us now had once belonged to nature. We fought our way through to claim these lands as ours. But when our houses get destroyed, the materials that constitute the structure of these buildings will eventually be left behind as waste. When the waste waits to be removed, nature has already slowly reclaimed what was once rightfully theirs. The cycle repeats.
This is a war that will never end. Even so, nature will always prevail in the end, because even if it falls it still slowly creeps back into our lives.
“What
shall we do, we who are at war but are asked
to pretend we are not?”
Bagram, Afghanistan, 2002 by Marvin Bell
A final year project.
The project explores diverse reasons behind beauty standards in different cultures that have transformed throughout the years, presenting a spectrum of tools and products that people have used to achieve the ideal beauty standard through all these distinct periods in time. Some of these objects are used daily, in the modern age, despite the fact that these objects may leave significant side effects when used on the human body.
This series shows the amount of risk that people, significantly women, have to put themselves through in their search for the ultimate perfection in beauty.
The European women popularly wore corsets since the 16th Century. The shape of corsets had changed over the years to portray an hourglass figure, which was painful to achieve. This practice causes constipation as well as a decrease in maximum lung and stomach capacity.
Foot binding was practiced in China in the late 13th Century. This practice indicated men’s social status since only wealthy men were able to marry wives who were unfit to work. All the toes were broken with the arches strained and the feet were then bound and fit into the lotus shoes.
Lip-plating is an ongoing beauty ritual that some African tribes still practice. When the girls hit puberty, the bottom two teeth are removed and a small hole is made in their bottom lips. A small clay disc is then inserted into the lower lip, which will slowly increase in size and stretch the lower lip.
In Renaissance Italy, women consistently used Belladonna juice to enlarge and enhance their eyes by dilating their pupils. They believed that it made them look more dreamy and beautiful. However, Belladonna is toxic and prolonged usage can cause one to suffer from blurred vision and result in eventual permanent blindness.
A tattoo is a permanent design made by depositing pigments through pricks into the skin’s top layer, which causes slight bleeding and a significant amount of pain. This practice may cause a few side effects, ranging from slight skin reactions to rare but possible Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan complications.
In Heian Japan, people often applied rice powder to their faces and necks to whiten themselves as having untanned skin was a symbol of the privileged class who were spared of outdoor labour. Rice powder is still commonly used in cosmetics and skin care currently as it has many beneficial properties.
Ohaguro was practiced between the Heian and Meiji period in Japan. Initially, aristocrats coated the black non-water soluble liquid onto their teeth after reaching puberty but the practice changed, after which mostly women practiced it to affirm their maturity after marriage. The tradition of tooth-blackening is still ongoing for some Asian tribes.
Hindu brides receive elaborate Mehndi designs on their hands and feet several days before the actual wedding days to symbolise their evolution from a virgin into a woman. The designs appear as stains and typically stay for between one to three weeks. The usage of black henna may cause severe skin burns.
Ancient Egyptian women applied different minerals to their faces for colour and definition. Today, this custom is still practiced by many women all around the world, using skin- safe foundation to achieve an even, uniform complexion or to cover flaws. However, some people may get allergic reactions from it depending on the ingredients used.
A month-long study was conducted to test the accumulation of bacteria found on unwashed makeup brushes, which are used by women everyday. At the end of the study, the amount of bacteria discovered was too high to be measured. These bacteria can cause skin irritation and acne.
Cosmetic contact lenses are becoming more popular among teenagers today. While it does not cause much harm, if not properly taken care of or bought without a prescription, they may cause serious infections and may cause permanent eye damage.
The neck slimmer has been made popular, particularly in Japan and Taiwan, to people who do not want to undergo plastic surgery. They can choose to use this tool and do massages on their neckline with it regularly to prevent saggy chins. It is unsure if it really does the job.
Botox injections have become popular among many people in recent years. It is used for the temporary smoothing of glabellar lines (frown lines). It may cause an allergic reaction for some people where they experience infection, inflammation, swelling and bruising.
Plastic surgery has become popular in many countries, especially in South Korea. While popular, there are potential risks that people have to take into consideration when doing it, such as hematoma, seroma, necrosis, nerve injury, infections and many others, including the possibility of death.
Temporary decal tattoos are popular among people who do not wish to commit to having a permanent tattoo on themselves. They are usually applied with water, contain colour dyes and are generally skin-safe. However, they could cause minor skin irritation to people who are allergic to these dyes.
