Tell us about yourself and how you first got interested in photography as a medium. 

I grew up playing with simple-use film cameras and I have always enjoyed telling stories. But I was, and still am, never good with words. Sometimes I struggle with verbal communication so my images help me speak. I can't get people to hear my thoughts so I translate them into visuals - a universal language that allows others to connect with my mind and listen to all that I have to share.

When did you begin work on the Death By Man photography project, and what was the impetus? And for your subsequent More Than Meets The Eye macro photography project.

I started photographing carcasses in late 2017 as part of my graduating project in University. There are many layers behind Death by Man series and if I were to dive into the depths of what each is, it would be many pages long. To give a quick overview of what drives this project, here are the four main points - One, the irony of bio-phobia in Singapore. Two, the concept of "out of sight, out of mind". Three, "you don't know what you've got till it's gone", and four, the lack of local context and awareness.

I had no intention of taking any macro shots at the beginning. That was until a rare Raffles' banded langur roadkill was laid in front of me. Its hands caught my attention because it had all the features of a human hand - Fingerprints, nails, a palm print. It was hard to ignore. So I took some pictures of it and it stirred up different reactions from my school mates, lecturers and professors. People were curious and filled with questions. From then on, I took every opportunity to capture the details of every animal, so others can admire and appreciate their captivating features up close.

Could you explain your process during this project? How did you find the animals, do you photograph them at the site of collision, or somewhere else? 

I work with Wildlife Reserve Singapore (WRS), Lee Kong Chian National History Museum (LKCNHM) and Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) for this project.

Most of my shoots are impromptu because death is unpredictable. I usually depend on the organisations and/or supportive individuals to help with carcass collection because I do not drive. Singapore is very efficient in removing carcasses off the streets which means that traveling by public transportation will not get me there in time. So wherever the body ends up at, I will carry out my shoot there.

As the project requires me to be very mobile, I can only pack what I am able to manage - my photography equipment, a small cleaning kit and a roll of gunny sack. I usually work in tight spaces too, which means I can only afford to have a simple set-up. Spaces that I have photographed in includes a holding area, a staircase landing, a post-mortem room, a home toilet. A lot of creative thinking is put into how to get my shoots going!

Is it important to you to bring the viewer very close to the reality of what you capture? 

Yes, it is! People need to learn how to face the unpleasant side of reality. Death by Man was created with the intention of demanding people's attention with images that attract and repulse. The project's obituary was made to ignite curiosity and expose man's ignorance on the impact of our presence in nature. It is a series that presents Singapore's wild animals and their unfortunate fates exactly as they are, with the severity of their wounds completely uncensored. We can't just keep pretending that everything is alright.

You mentioned that children seem to be fascinated by your photographs, whereas some adults seem to shy away from them, why do you think that is?

A child's curiosity is a beautiful thing. Their minds are open and they are not afraid to question. Despite the project's heavy topic and its rather sensitive content, most children are more curious than they are fearful. They are willing to accept the truth and learn what can be done.

When Death by Man was first publicly displayed as an obituary, I remember a young boy, possibly 5 years old, running between his parents. He was tugging their pants to get their attention because he was eager for them to address his questions. He asked "Why did this animal die?", "Why would someone do that?" (referring to intentional killing), "Why no one helped?".

Quite surprisingly, he was not the only one. Many questions were posed to the adults who either struggled to find an answer or were just simply uncomfortable talking about it. It didn't help that the exhibition was held right outside a library and children were seen carrying stories books about animals.

Perhaps the adults were afraid of ruining a child's innocence or perhaps they didn't want to be placed in a position where they have to admit their ignorance. Whatever the reason, it seems like death is something that many of us would rather avoid talking about even though it is all part and parcel of life.

I believe the younger generation deserves to know what exists beyond their sheltered bubble, and we, the adults, need to learn to open ourselves to more conversations.

More Than Meets The Eye is an evolution of the Death By Man project, where do you go from here?

Death by Man is a long-term project that has yet to conclude and so, More Then Meets The Eye will carry along with it. There can be many possibilities as to where else this project can go but I am allowing the ideas to come naturally. I don't usually plan new projects in advance because I believe that art is a journey. Our creation is the experiences and stories we collect along the way. Sometimes it takes a while for us to get there and sometimes the destination is near. If given the opportunity and the sustainable means to pursue my work as a creative, I would still love to work on themes of wildlife and the environment. I hope to explore more experiential art forms, maybe even performative pieces, that go beyond visuals and engages other senses.