A new photo exhibition offers more than a collection of pretty pictures

Sajeev Photo Studio: A Decade Of Portraiture is also a commentary on the socio-technological trends we face

SINGAPORE — In light of the burgeoning interest in our recent history and fading trades of Singapore — just look at what has been written about lantern painters, songkok makers, snake charmers and so on — it was perhaps inevitable that someone would eventually get down to putting up an exhibition showcasing one such dying trade: Portrait photo studios. Particularly the ones in Little India.

Co-presented by Objectifs and Invisible Photographer Asia, the exhibition Sajeev Photo Studio: A Decade of Portraiture in Little India may seem, as the title suggests, to recount nothing more than the story of a Kerbau Road photo studio run by the eponymous K Sajeev Lal. But that would be missing the forest for the trees.

Formal portraits of South Asian men line one wall, while another features group portraits of couples and families. The stories behind these colourful portraits were what first drew the exhibition's curator Kevin Lee to Sajeev's studio — in particular, the social function of these portraits. Most of these portraits were used by the parents of these eligible young men to find their sons a bride. Innumerable lives have been touched and changed by Sajeev's work as a photographer, and as Sajeev himself observed: "They all find wives. They go back for their weddings and sometimes come back with their new wives for a couple portrait again at my studio."

In an age where the off-the-cuff selfie is a dominant force when it comes to photographic portraits of sorts; the very idea of sitting for a portrait might seem strangely archaic. For instance, while Sajeev's son might well be following his father's footsteps into the photographic trade, he is more about event-focused mobile photo booths than the traditional studio model.

However, it is more than just about technological change and the social shifts they cause, which have endangered photo studios such as Sajeev's. Like many business owners in this neighbourhood of Serangoon, Sajeev's photo studio has suffered as a result of the measures imposed in the wake of the violence that erupted in December 2013, including beefed-up surveillance and far-reaching bans on the sale and consumption of alcohol.

Though the link between alcohol bans and the business of a portrait studio is not immediately obvious, Lee, whose interest in the studio also extends to examining the aftermath of the riot, noted that in the past "the studio was always packed to the brim with migrant workers getting their portraits taken and pictures printed". It is a stark comparison to the 60 per cent drop in business reported by Sajeev in the months since enhanced security in Little India took effect. It would seem to suggest that a chilling effect on socialising and congregating in the area has resulted in a knock-on effect on local businesses, and not just on those selling alcohol.

Which is where A Decade Of Portraiture comes in. It is more than just taking a look back in time via a charming cultural and historical excursion, the exhibition also functions as a commentary on socio-technological trends in our lives.

Sajeev Photo Studio: A Decade Of Portraiture in Little India runs from noon to 7pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays, and noon to 4pm on Sundays until Aug 31 at Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film, 155 Middle Road.

Source: A new photo exhibition offers more than a collection of pretty pictures