New Generation

As a kid, what was your dream occupation?
I’ve always wanted to be a fashion designer! When I was younger, I actually tried to mimic drawing styles that could equip me with skills to design clothes. But my secondary school art teacher failed my assignments, so let’s leave it at that!

However. as I grow older, I realised childhood dreams shouldn’t be abandoned just because it sounds ludicrous—a little bit of tweaking should make it work. My dream occupation now is a mixture of both things that I know I’m good at and my dream of doing something creative in life. I guess it didn’t detour too much from my childhood dream occupation.

If you could change something in the society that you live in (or the world in general), what would it be?
Call me an ambitious Gen Z-er but I want to live in a society where inclusivity and gender equality are normalised. I strongly believe that respect should be earned, rather than being based on the skin colour or sexuality one is assigned at birth. I’m very lucky to be born in a generation where youths are interested to change societal norms that discriminate and exclude. It inspires me every day, knowing that there are young people out there who are at the forefront of these changes, and that makes me more inclined to learn (and unlearn) how to be socially progressive.

What’s one trait that you feel every human being should have?
Empathy: it’s a quality that humanises us, in my opinion. It is through empathy that we can learn and work towards a progressive society. For starters, empathy teaches social awareness when you begin to identify who to care for, beyond caring for your loved ones. As we are all social creatures, empathy is a significant trait every human being should have, not only because it makes us care for one another, but also encourages us to be self-reflective.

You’re currently interning at the Singapore Art Museum—what’s something unexpected you’ve learnt about the art industry in Singapore during this time?
The conversations I’ve had with many great creatives during this period have left me with many nuggets of wisdom about the art industry. One of the more unexpected ones was how simple inspiration comes to creatives in the work that they do: like how a simple team discussion about shoes birthed the Singapore Biennale 2019 x Converse collaboration. The serendipitous nature of how inspiration comes and goes reminds me that sometimes the best ideas are just right in front of you.

If you could walk in the shoes of a main character from any book, which protagonist would you choose and why?
Kiki from Eiko Kadano’s Kiki’s Delivery Service! Before it was adapted into the Studio Ghibli film that we all came to love, it was actually a novel first published in 1985. My actual life goal is to live peacefully with a black cat and work in a bakery, which parallels Kiki’s short stint before becoming a full-fledged witch. The first-hand, vivid description of Kiki’s world was so incredibly enchanting that I too would want to live in her world and experience magic!

What’s one country you have on your travel bucket list?
Italy! I’ve always wanted to see Michelangelo’s artworks in-person since I began studying art history years ago, so I think a trip to Vatican City promises an experience of a lifetime to explore European art history beyond the walls of academia.