For the past 13 years, a quaint photo studio along Kerbau Road in the Little India district has been a mainstay for Singapore’s Tamil-speaking migrant workers.
Named after its 49-year-old owner, Sajeev Digital Photo Studio keeps the good fight going, offering portrait-taking services by photographer K. Sajeev Lal himself. Migrant workers from places such as Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka would all drop by his shop to pay and get their portraits taken with the scenic backdrops that look like they belong from a time long forgotten.
They may look kitschy, but the reasons behind them are anything but — the portraits are sent to the young men’s parents back home to look for brides. As Sajeev proudly claims, all the dudes who underwent his procedure have all successfully found wives, and some of the new couples would even return to the shop to get some couple photos in.
This month, a photographic exhibition has been set up at Objectifs art gallery to pay tribute to Sajeev’s long-standing work, presenting the story of a traditional photo studio — something that folks today can rarely find. Folks can check out the photos taken throughout the years, and dive deeper into the story of Singapore’s migrant workers.
Aside from sharing sessions by Sajeev and his wife themselves, attendees can actually take part in the show by having their portraits taken with one of Sajeev Photo Studio’s backdrops in all its old-school glory. More details about the ongoing exhibition available on the Objectifs website.
Photos: Sajeev Photo Studio: Artist & Curator Talk Facebook event page
