Need a spark of drama in your life? Head down to Funan, and check out Drama Mama, a series of portraits of Singaporean artists performing themselves, photographed and curated by Tan Ngiap Heng, a visual artist who seeks to find truth and beauty from conscious observation of everyday experiences.

Co-presented with Wild Rice, this photography installation featuring over eighty images of artists celebrates the vibrant creative spirit in Singapore’s performing arts industry. These artists represent Singapore’s diverse arts landscape: the contemporary and the traditional, the educational and the political, the comforting and the uncomfortable, the sombre and the hilarious.

“In 2015, I started to organise Drama Mama shooting parties in my former photography studio, The Pond. I would invite a group of artists to have a party with me there, with my equipment set up to take portraits. As people chatted and relaxed, I would ask them to pose for me, and I would let them do anything they wanted,” says Tan. “Naturally, as most of the guests were in the performing arts, they performed for my camera. Without any specific brief of what they needed to portray, however, they simply had fun in front of the camera. In a way, they were performing themselves — there is also a truth in those performances.”

The public can catch this exhibition as they walk along the Underground Pedestrian Link at Basement 2 of Funan. They can also enjoy the satellite exhibition in the foyer of The Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre @ Wild Rice on Level 4, which complements the main installation. Whether one is familiar or not with the artists featured, Tan invites viewers to stop and acquaint themselves with each of the artists photographed and closely observe what is in their eyes.

“I’ve long admired Tan Ngiap Heng’s Drama Mama series for capturing the spirit and passion of our arts community. His intimate portraits, taken over years, evince his deep engagement with both his art and his subjects,” says Ivan Heng, Theatre Practitioner, Founding Artistic Director of Wild Rice.

Drama Mama celebrates individuality, uniqueness, playfulness, spontaneity, and so much more: from Bernice Lee’s and Andrew Lua’s respective silliness and adorable playfulness and Jalyn Han’s excessiveness, to Lim Yu-Beng’s intense pensiveness and Ang Gey Pin’s deep, soulful joy. In their uniqueness, we are gently reminded of the beauty of being our own unique selves. A highlight of this exhibition, in addition to Tan’s captions on the respective images, features each artist sharing their unique response to their portraits, expressing their reflections, thoughts, or experiences through various mediums such as words, images, and even music or dance.

“To be able to see a snapshot of everyone on their journeys, just for that split second, and take a good look at who we are, what we’ve become [makes] the portraits mean that much more to me. Thanks, Ngiap Heng, for letting that moment breathe forever,” says Bright Ong, Performance-Maker, Puppetry Creative, reflecting on his portrait in the collection.

Tan’s conversational portraits speak gently and affectionately, casting a light on local artists from various walks of life. This collection offers a glimpse into the close and colourful conversations between Tan and the artists. Each exchange is vastly different and each relationship is uniquely cultivated over time. The trust and comfort captured in these images not only bear witness to the nature of the studio sessions, but also reflect the enduring camaraderie and connections nurtured over time.

“The session was so chill, a casual catch-up with an old friend. You made me feel very comfortable, and you managed to capture so many amazing shots of me just being myself, as Siti. Very different from the usual heavily made-up, posed, and BIG character shoots that I normally do. I’m glad I got to share this vulnerable side of me that I usually dare not show,” says actress Siti Khalijah Zainal, sharing her experience during the shooting session.

“This photo captures a moment in time when we were much younger. It celebrates the time when we were truly vibrant, with less responsibility in life. It was also a time when we dared the most to try different things, with the least questions asked, not being afraid of really expressing ourselves. Of course, the confidence came from the support and relationships we have built within ourselves, not just between Yarra and me, but with Ngiap Heng as well. Dance has brought us together, sharing conversations about our own experiences in career and life. We shared views and opinions that strengthened our friendship with each other. Every picture that was taken of our dancer bodies furthered this process of mutual understanding,” say dance practitioners Zhuo Zihao and Yarra Ileto.

“My time with Ngiap Heng in the studio was memorable. He made me feel very comfortable, and little did I know he was slowly peeling away the many layers that have hidden my authentic self. I am glad he captured my best attributes, my articulate limbs, frozen yet moving in spirit. Thank you, Ngiap Heng,” says Amin Farid (Soultari), Malay Dance Practitioner/Researcher.

“He allowed me to be me, without having to perform, and enabled me to share delicate and intimate moments, moments captured by his camera. The jacket is an armour for professional hosting jobs and also a shield that I’m able to put down for a friend like Ngiap Heng. He is the only photographer, too, I’ve ever disrobed for. I do not have photos like those Ngiap Heng has taken for me — they’re extremely precious,” says Danny Yeo, Theatre Practitioner/Presenter

Accompanying the exhibition are a photography lecture demonstration workshop by Tan, as well as artist tours by Tan who may be accompanied by some of the artists featured. “This series is not meant to be a compendium of Singaporean artists. The bias has been towards artists I have an affinity to. The aim was to get artists to truly perform themselves. There were artists who wanted to be part of the project, but just were not able to find the time,” says Tan. “Also, even after all my time in the industry, there are many artists whom I have yet to cross paths with. I think, though, that I have managed to represent a reasonable number of Singapore’s artists. Drama Mama, then, is the fruit of our work and friendship, over more than two decades, in a community that feels more like my extended family.”

Photo Credit: Tan Ngiap Heng

Drama Mama – A series of portraits of Singaporean artists performing themselves runs from 9th March to 7th April 2024 at Funan Underground Pedestrian Link (B2). More information available here