New Perspectives

Tell us more about what you do for work.
I work in a private art gallery at level three of Tanjong Pagar Distripark, so as you can imagine, it’s a very, very small team—just my director and I. We do have the occasional intern, but I pretty much oversee all of the projects and operations, liaise with logistics, handle the marketing, and everything!

You’re quite the multitasker huh! Have you always wanted to explore working in the art industry?
Yes! In fact, I decided to go back to university after working for a bit to study arts management, and have since graduated two years ago. Before entering the art industry, I was working in fashion. I was at Deja Vu Vintage for a while after getting my diploma in fashion.

I see! Do you see yourself going back into fashion?
Rather than going back into fashion, I think I’ll somehow end up in a crossover between art and fashion. I’ve been working at the gallery for about two years now, and I’ve spoken to a lot of people at events, so I do see this crossover happening somehow. I also have a lot of peers who are in the fashion world, the creative scene, and the media industry, so I think there’s a good chance that I’ll remain in this realm.

What do you like most about art and fashion?
Well, with both of them, you get to be ridiculous, which is my favourite part!

How do you enjoy spending your time outside of work?
I go to museums a lot. I work with contemporary art, so I like going to different museums for more historical pieces and artefacts.

Other than that, I like to go for nature walks. I just went for a two-day, back-to-back hike with different people at MacRitchie Reservoir, and my knees are really hurting! (laughs) But if you ask me, the Southern Ridges is one of my favourite places to walk. There, you don’t have to be in the mud, but you still get the view of treetops and all the open greenery.

What’s the most memorable exhibition you’ve been to?
Oh wow, you’re really racking my brain with this question! (laughs)

There was this one exhibition held at the Peace Centre carpark—it was a group show by John Tung, and it talked about the concept of things hidden underneath a clean surface, hidden out of sight. So the works exhibited were ones that talked about everyday life in Singapore—sometimes, it gets a bit clinical, but there are lots of culture and bits of real life underneath this façade.

I really enjoy topics like this because it brings forth conversations among everyday people. And it was held at a very interesting venue! At the time, Peace Centre was already in the process of being shut down, so they were repurposing all of the spots there, and it was so hot in the carpark, and there were so many people, but every corner of the space had a new art piece or a new activation by an artist, so it was a really interesting use of the space!

What are you most looking forward to in the new year?
I’m looking forward to my romance blossoming! I’m in a relatively new long-distance relationship, but we’re trying our best to make it work. So in the new year, there might be a very big change in our lives, but we’re excited for it!

We met at an art fair, and he works in a gallery too, but he’s based in Spain, which is far away, but that also means that it’s an opportunity for me to move there, or for him to move here. Exciting!