My drawing of Vivian Lee was the cover of The B-Side, May – June 2014. Sadly, it was also their final issue. Included in the issue is a slightly different version of my essay ‘A Portrait of Vivian Lee’, which you can read here. This version, ‘An Encounter’ was written after my first meeting with… Read more
Vivian Lee is a young woman who, along with her partner Alvin Tan, was one half of the now defunct couple known as Alvivi. They became famous for blogging about their sex lives in 2012, and are currently facing criminal charges for posting a photo of themselves eating pork soup and wishing Muslims ‘happy breaking… Read more
I met Wu Ma at the thieves’ market in Georgetown. He’s 87. For the past 30 years, he’s been drawing pictures everyday. He rents a small shack where he lives alone. His neighbours watch out for him. When he dies, they will buy the coffin – ‘棺材! You know or not?’ – and burn his… Read more
In July last year, I drew a portrait of Alvivi. Alvivi are Vivian Lee and Alvin Tan. I follow them online. It’s like following a meteor as it trolls brightly through the Internet, trailing controversy and naked pictures in its wake. This time though, the stakes were different. It was Ramadan, the holy month. Alvivi… Read more
Mr. Raman is our gardener. He comes round every month, sometimes more often, sometimes less. He cuts the grass, sweeps the leaves and clears the drains. He’s built like a tree, solid and barrel chested. Our garden is a two-day job for him. He’s getting older now. He’s had several eye operations and wears big… Read more
