Si Punggok Rindukan Bulan (The Owl Pines for the Moon)

This diptych depicts Francis Hogan, a pioneering wayang Peranakan actor who began acting in the 1950s. Born from a combination of Chinese wayang and Malay bangsawan, wayang Peranakan often explores the life of the Peranakan family.According to the artist, ‘the art of female impersonation is always imbued with a sense of longing, melancholy and tragedy, pining for an ideal when on stage and grappling with reality, off stage. My work with Francis, as the mistress of his art, also delves into the hidden aspects of Peranakan ladies whom we will never see in a photograph in their inner garments.’This group of photographs reveals the longstanding relationship between Peranakans and photography which continues till today.

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