TRADITIONS: TEOCHEW OPERA TROUPE

This portrait series features a Teochew opera troupe from Taiwan, when they were performing in Singapore. The traditional arts have always interested me, and with the fast paced economic growth and westernization of Singapore, it's becoming a fading tradition. Today, it's mainly older Chinese Singaporeans paying to watch shows such as the Teochew opera.

The stories revolve around traditional Chinese folklore, filial piety, Confucianism, with many myths and legends making up the show. Often, it revolves around a hero saving the village from the evil creature just lurking beyond.

This series was entirely accidental. I was walking home from my studio towards the MRT, and I heard opera music coming from the temple besides the MRT. Curious, I decided to go in and take a look. The sets and scale impressed me, but I was the only young person in sight. I decided if such traditions continue to live on, portraits would be the perfect medium to showcase such a fading artwork.

The temple, along with the Taiwanese opera troupe were graceful enough to give me 15 minutes of spare time right before the show began to take these portraits.