The Slap
A man hit another man in front of others in a big occasion. He became emotional. He apologised. His action appeared out of character. The man he assaulted was shocked. A day later he said sorry to the other man. In one stroke, everything seemed …
The Secret Behind Zoe Tay’s Enduring Appeal
At a local movie premiere a few nights ago, an industry veteran who relocated here from China, pointed an artiste out in the crowd from across the cinema hall at the Capitol Theatre. “It is easy to over or underdress this evening. Her dressing is …
Discovering The Actor
In Singapore, do we have an actor of a calibre when if he is in a movie or program, people will make an effort to watch purely because this actor acts exceedingly well. We all have an actor we like, to a point of making …
Maggie Cheung’s Next Act
She is an iconic actress. Most young artists when asked, would cite her as a role model, that she had a career any serious talent would emulate and use as important reference. She appeared in countless Hong Kong commercial movies in the 80s before her …
What Is In A Logo?
When was the last time a logo created so much talk? Generated so much scope for people from all walks of life to use as a platform to express their feelings on design, their understanding of aesthetics, their views of how wrong or how right …
Finding The Berlin Patient
When was the last time you did something for the first time? Time and again, I ask myself, especially during this time of the year, if I venture out of my comfort zone often enough. Sometimes we think we are adventurous, when we are just …
Art Republic
This week, some fast and furious questions were directed at me – ‘What is so good about ‘Ilo Ilo’?’ ‘A story about a maid and her employers. How good can it be?’ ‘I was busy, I didn’t have time to watch it. Do you think …
A Place To Go Back To
A few weeks ago, I attended a launch event for a new singer. Near the venue, I chanced upon Stefanie Sun whom I have not met for a while. She asked if I was there for the same event. I would discover later she was …
Xue Song, The Artist Who Rose From The Ashes
I read an online story of a family in the Philippines whose house was burned down by a fire. When all seemed lost, especially to the head of the family who was in despair, the eldest son devised a way to create art from the …
The Five Boys By The River
Do you sometimes feel when you see something for the first time, that you have seen it before? A familiarity. Like seeing an old friend. You know for a fact that it is the first time. But the feeling lingers. When the Singapore General Post …