Age is but a number, and 80-year-old self-taught photographer Lui Hock Seng clearly embodies the saying with his first solo exhibition coming up in February next year at Objectifs.
Lui, whose interest in photography began in the 1950s, will display more than 30 black and white photographs offering a rare glimpse of Singapore from the 1960s to the 1970s in a showcase called Passing Time. Capturing images over the decades, Lui found himself naturally drawn to streetscapes, portraits, architecture, and industry.
Even while cycling to work, he would snap pictures of river life by the Merdeka Bridge (the former link between East Coast via Nicoll Highway) and along the roads. This documentation of daily life resulted in photos of everything from the Teochew market at Clarke Quay to the old Tanah Merah Village to the Redhill brick factory.
Currently working as an office cleaner, Lui continues to traipse around Singapore with his camera in hand. Although he hasn’t pursued the art in a professional setting, he’s received several awards from photo competitions over the years — from 1963 to as recent as 2016.
Take a look at some of his photos below, and if you find yourself nostalgic for Singapore of the olden days, know that the exhibition prints will be for sale.
Passing Time is on from Feb 8-Mar 11, 2018, Tue-Sat noon-7pm, Sun noon-4pm at Lower Gallery, Objectifs. Free. Artist talk: Feb 10, 3:30pm-4:30pm.
