Kok Chai Kooi

Through few years of pursuit in photography, CK Kok deeply realized photography is not only about visual striking images or digital processing but it is a medium to tell stories. Since young he is concern about environment issues, social issues, global affairs, heritage preservation, people & culture and recently he focus on public health issues when he suffered from skin disease beginning 2016.

Awards

• Digital SLR Magazine/August 2015/Issues 65, Monthly Winner
• Digital SLR Magazine/December 2015/Issues 69, Monthly Winner
• Finalist (6images) 4th Zebra International Black and White Awards
• 11th & 12th Ngee Ann Photographic Exhibition 2016 (group exhibition)
• Singapore International Photography Awards(SIPA) PSS Silver Awards in Monochrome session
• Honorable mention (People) in Monochrome Award 2016.
• Honorable mention (Portrait) in Monochrome Award 2016

Foo Tee Jun, Hon.FPSS, EFIAP, ARPS

Foo Tee Jun (b. 15 December 1935, Singapore–)1 is a highly regarded and artistically distinguished salon photographer. His involvement with professional photography began in 1963. Over the years, Foo perfected his skills and experimented with various darkroom techniques to create a series of remarkable works in the era before digital imaging. The achievements and length of his creative career, and his passionate teaching of photography, have earned him the praise and respect of many. In 1989, Foo Tee Jun was awarded the Cultural Medallion for Photography.2

Early life
Foo was born in Singapore to a Hainanese migrant family. Due to the Japanese Occupation, he began attending primary school only at the age of 12, enrolling in Aik Kun School at Primary 2 and moving to Shun Qun Primary School when he was in Primary 5.3 Foo completed his primary education and did well enough to enter The Chinese High School. However, as the eldest of eight children, he had to give up his secondary school studies so that his siblings could receive schooling.4

At a time when it was rare for people to own cameras, Foo’s father gave him a second-hand camera as a present for his 15th birthday. This sparked Foo’s interest in photography, but it was short-lived because he soon lost the camera.5 Foo worked as a technician in a dental clinic on Chulia Street. It was here that he resumed his interest in photography, as his boss would lend him his camera for use on outings during weekends or public holidays.6

Foo’s desire to improve his photography skills led him to take his first formal photography course in 1962. It was a beginners’ class conducted by Lee Sow Lim at the Adult Education Board.7 The following year, he enrolled as a member of the Photographic Society of Singapore (PSS), where he attended a comprehensive elementary course and realised the potential of the camera to create works of art.8

Stimulated by the encouragement he received from having his pictures win top prizes in photography competitions, Foo devoted more time to the society and honed his darkroom techniques under the guidance of his mentor Tham Yew Fun.9 With his keen perception of and sensitivity to the interplay between light and shadow, Foo soon gained renown for his skilful application of darkroom techniques to achieve striking effects in his works.10 Foo’s perseverance and dedication in photography earned him the title of Artiste Distinction (AFIAP), conferred by the International Federation of Photographic Art, in 1972.11

Goh Kim Hui, Hon FPSS, Hon EFIAP, AFIAP

Photography has been an integral part of Mr Goh’s life since he picked it up at the age of 16. Through years of hard work and exploration, the excellence-driven photographer mastered various techniques of photography, winning numerous awards and recognitions from photographic bodies worldwide.

Currently the President of the Photographic Society of Singapore (PSS), Mr Goh joined the Society in 1971 and has been serving it for the last 44 years. A pioneer in the local photography scene, Mr Goh spearheaded the production of the region’s first Electronic Photographic Exhibition in 1998, digitally compiling more than 200 entries of the ASEAN Salon of Photography into a CD-ROM. This revolutionary and progressive move during the early stage of digital photography in 1990s had attracted the attention of many major international photographic bodies including The International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) and The Photographic Society of America (PSA). In 2000, Mr Goh received the Honorary Excellent Distinction from the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) for his outstanding contribution to photography.

Mr Goh was a Senior Photographer for the then-Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) from 1974 to 1981, then a Photojournalist for the Singapore Monitor from 1981 to 1982. In 1983, Mr Goh started his private studio and is widely known for his commercial works today. As a professional photographer, he experienced various challenges, which saw him experiment different ways of photographing objects, making a still image come to life. To him, “Photography is about capturing moments in its truest form”. He favours natural scene photography, which uses minimum to no digital manipulation, to express the raw emotions and feelings of the moment or subjects.

Mr Goh, after years of experimentation, uses photography as a medium to express his thoughts. He is inspired by the Chinese philosophy of Wu Xing, also known as the Five Elements of Nature (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth) and Yin Yang, a concept that explains the interaction and relationship between the phenomena of nature, The dual nature of these elements are also referenced in the ideology of Yin Yang, as the opposing, yet complementary nature influenced many ancient Chinese traditions and culture.

Studying and exploring the implications of these elements in his surroundings, he captured many remarkable shots based on these principles. He expressed the Wu Xing philosophy in his solo exhibition “The Sky is not a Limit” in December 2000, as well as the joint exhibition “Into the Light” in June 2001. These photographs reflect his new perspective on life and the environment. Mr Goh’s works have been collected by international museums and private collectors, and his famous commercial works was published in media all over the world.

“Photography is my life. It is my past, present and it will be my future as well”, as Mr Goh said. His passion for photography is truly admirable. Always keen to share his knowledge and experiences, Mr Goh remains an active player and educator in the field of photography by teaching photography classes at the PSS clubhouse. He also serves an advisory role to several local and international photography societies, and sitting on the judging panel of many photography salons and competitions. His unwavering support and guidance gained him much respect among the local photography scene.

Goh Koon Peng, Hon. FPSS; FPSS; ARPS

Koon Peng took up photography as a hobby in 1979. He switched to digital photography and attended courses with The Photographic Society of Singapore (PSS) in 2004. He has achieved Associateship distinction ARPS from The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain and Fellowship distinction FPSS from PSS. Koon Peng held his first solo photographic exhibition entitled “A Fading Performing Art: Street Opera” in 2013. He is Vice President of PSS Currently

Koon Peng is also an award-winning photographer. Throughout the years of his photography journey, he has won more than 100 local and overseas photography awards. His works have been published in Asiaweek; Lianhe Zaobao; The Strait Times; Garuda International Airlines magazine; HDB Annual Report; MTI Economic Report; PUB; MICA and NTUC publications.

Ronnie Lee

My association with photography started in 2011 as I was exploring a new avenue for some recreation during my free time. I should term myself as self-taught photographer. I am gaining more shooting experiences along the way. The most mesmerizing scenes that caught my attention are the blue hour shots and I went on to explore the entire island of Singapore to satisfy my immense urge in appreciating my beautiful homeland.

My mind-set in photography is producing “My vision of the World” through my work. I am a tech savvy guy and I am always finding ways to seek or explore methods to improve my works on top of refining the fundamentals of photography. There are rules and guidelines to being a good photographer. But I believe that by putting yourself out there and shooting continuously, the practical experience gained will help me to master photography. And once I’ve mastered and understood those fundamentals, I’ll be better equipped to bend or break them in order to create something truly unique and with a different perspective.

Vincent Liew

Hon.FPSS, Hon.FPSNJ, Hon.FUPHK, Hon.PESGSPC, Hon.ASPA, Hon.WPG, FPSNY, SPSA,
MEPSP, PSA Galaxy Exhibitor, GPU-CR3, AFIAP, BEPSS

Honorary Fellow of the Photographic Society of Singapore
Honorary Fellow of the Photographic Society of New Jersey
Honorary Fellow of the United Photographers of Hong Kong
Honorary Member of the Pascal English & Greek Schools Photo Club (Cyprus)
Honorary Member of World of Photography Group (Saudi Arabia)
Fellow of the Photographic Society of New York
Silver Portfolio Distinction title holder of the Photographic Society of America
Artist of the International Federation of Photographic Art (Belgium)
Master Exhibitor of the Photographic Society of Penang
Bronze Level Exhibitor of the Photographic Society of Singapore
Honorary Secretary & Board Member of the Photographic Society of Singapore
Singapore Country Representative to the Global Photographic Union (Europe)
International Exhibition Chairman for the Photographic Society of America – ND

2015 – 2016

Malaysia “OBSCURA Festival of Photography”

Artist Statement

Meditation is The Practice of Death is an introspective observation on how the process of dying , relates to the collateral damage of the external environment.

Is the experience of dying a sensation or is it a painful one for those who is also all of us , is this entire process actually living or are we all slowly losing our grip towards life itself slowly everyday?

About the Artist

Alvin Lau is a self taught photographer based in Kuala Lumpur , majority of his work is influenced by an observation towards the self.

Curator Profile

Vignes Balasingam, founder and director of OBSCURA Festival of Photography. He has juried amongst other awards, the Kuala Lumpur Photo Awards in 2016, the POPCAP Prize for Contemporary African Photography from 2015-2017. He has been a guest curator at the Chennai Photo Biennale and Photo 17, in Zürich. Vignes also co-edited Confluence, the third monograph by British-Malaysian photographer, Ian Teh.

OBSCURA Festival of Photography

OBSCURA Festival of Photography is Malaysia’s premier annual photo festival. Attracting participation from over 27 countries and featuring works from over 200 photographers through print exhibitions, projections and photobook exhibitions, the festival is home to some of the most critical conversations in photography in the region. Rooted in education and multilateral relations, the festival runs some of the most interesting programmes through collaborations with other festivals, government, education and public institutions to increase discourse using the photographic medium to discuss a variety of things. The festival runs every year since 2013 at the World Heritage City of George Town in the beautiful island of Peanng, Malaysia and attracts over 20,000 visitors annually.