TIONG BAHRU – Portraits of History IV, Book 1 (The Original Sketches)

The sketches set out to capture these multifaceted aspects of Tiong Bahru, which are not just limited to its architectural conservation merits, but its food, the people, the details indicating the trace of practices and perhaps unraveling the sign which would cajole the collective memory of the past or present residents whether Singaporeans or foreigners. It is in this direction that I construe my ink sketches. Of course, due to my training in architecture and urban design, my observation and understanding weighted towards its spatiality, be it the transient or the permanence. I hope to be able to unravel the Genius Loci of Tiong Bahru, a term borrowed from Christian Norberg-Schulz.