One Dish, One Chef, Generation Of Stories: The Story Behind Alvin Foo’s Photo Exhibition
McDonald’s Nasi Lemak Burger and Starbucks’ Shiok-ah-ccino were results of brands practicing their best renditions of Singaporean delights as we near our nation’s 52nd birthday. However, Alvin Foo, Principal of Canon Imaging Academy, had another epiphany.
One Dish, One Chef, Generation of Stories is an exhibition in conjunction with Singapore Food Fest held at Singapore Visitor Centre, Orchardgateway@emerald. The exhibition is aimed at paying tribute to Singapore’s hawkers who stood the test of time and continue to bring us our cherished dishes. From the warmth found in a crispy curry puff, to the respite guaranteed in a tin of teh peng, these hawkers had a story to tell with every dish they prepared. Alvin, together with his EOS-1D X Mark II, was not about to let that go to waste.
We sat down with Alvin to find out more about the ideation and inspiration that went into his work.
Where did you get your inspiration for One Dish, One Chef, Generation of Stories?
I was living in the UK a few years back, and it made me realise how much I missed the food back home. There’s something unique about the food culture in Singapore, with all of its eccentricities and vast heritage. I wanted the project to reflect the rich tradition behind our nation’s food. I saw the opportunity to document it, both photographically and in writing, and I took it.
I don’t think I’ll be leaving Singapore again anytime soon! (laughs)
Did the exhibition intend to garner more tourists or locals?
Our exhibit is at The Singapore Visitor Centre, so we got our fair share of tourists along with locals, but that’s what we wanted – to propagate the Singapore hawker heritage and culture.
We noticed the consistency of your shots and how the hawkers stood in front of their stalls. Any specific reason you went for that approach?
I was intrigued by the portraiture approach because it showed the hawker as a person, in their most natural form and attire, in front of their actual working environment. Running a hawker stall is tiring – it gets hot and messy and it isn’t exactly the most comfortable place to work in. I aimed to show just that because it conveyed their stories best.
Do you have a favourite stall that you took a picture of?
That’s a really tough call to make! (laughs). Honestly, there isn’t one that I favour most because, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, there is a variety of stalls that were featured. That’s the beauty of food in Singapore, isn’t it? We all have a time and mood for specific dishes and drinks. I’m just privileged to have all the hawkers willing to take time off for the project to portray just that.
Duty of a Daughter-in-Law is one that caught our attention. Could you tell us more about Madam Lee and her humble drink stall?
Ho Peng Coffee Stall is one of the very few stalls left in Singapore, if not the only, that still serves take-away kopi and teh in the traditional milk tin. Madam Lee married into the family and took it upon herself to help out at the stall, eventually taking over the business as a form of duty to her new kin. Her story is different from how it is today, where some hawkers refuse to let their kids follow their footsteps. Even for Madam Lee; she didn’t think twice before answering that she’d like a different career path for her children.
Alvin’s exhibition One Dish, One Chef, Generation of Stories is being held in conjunction with Singapore Food Fest at Singapore Visitor Centre, Orchardgateway@emerald. The exhibition will run until 11th August 2017.
For more on Alvin’s work, visit www.littleREDdotphotography.com. Also, follow our LinkedIn page here at Canon Singapore, for more local inspiration throughout this month of August.