Through My Eyes

We speak to AikBeng Chia, one of Singapore’s most prolific photographers, on the memories he’s amassed in the past decade.

- Charmaine Tai

DON’T CALL AIKBENG CHIA a street photographer.

“I hate the term ‘street photographer’. I’m just a photographer,” he laments. Following that, he laughs, admitting that he doesn’t really know what to call himself either – he’s also an illustrator and creative director – and has begrudgingly accepted terms bestowed by others, including ‘visual archivist’, which he now puts as his bio on Instagram (@aikbengchia).

It’s close to midnight and prior to our chat, Chia was in a meeting to discuss another pet project of his. To say that it had been a long Monday for him is an understatement, and he wouldn’t be heading out to shoot like he usually does. “I used to go out to shoot every night,” he says, “but I rarely do so now. I only go when I feel like it, and sometimes, I return empty-handed. But that’s okay.”

Chia, who mostly goes by his moniker ABC, is best known for his, well, street photography in Singapore. In 2013, he released Tonight The Streets Are Ours, a monograph on Little India. It was followed by Singkapor in 2015, which captured the everyday moments of locals. A second installation is to follow this year.

But Chia is equally successful in grabbing the younger generation’s attention. On Instagram, he’s infamous for regularly deleting his themed projects, starting on a blank canvas whenever he feels the need for it. Here, he chooses his favourite images that best capture his memories of the Lion City.

Why are you particularly interested in photographing people and everyday life?