#OverTheShoulderSeries

#OverThe Shoulder Series

2014-2016
28 Film Photographs with Hand-lettered Typography
Size Variable (Digital Series)

With so many people squeezed onboard public transport during the rush hour commute in Singapore, it often surprised me how many remain stubbornly glued to their phones. It was hard to ignore the text conversations shoved in your face – accidental over-the-shoulder glimpses into the busy lives of fellow passengers.

This peak-hour people-traffic inspired my social media-based Over The Shoulder series, in which I hand-lettered a line taken at random from a commuter’s text message or spoken conversation, and paired it with my 35mm film photographs.

Each piece was accompanied by a caption that reflected on the interplay between the imagery and quote. What began as a project to learn hand-lettering eventually became part social commentary, part visual juxtaposition, and an act of re-engaging with an anonymous world around me.