Having produced work in Japan, the United States, and his hometown of Singapore, photographer Nguan’s pastel-soaked portraits and urban landscapes often depict momentary stillness in otherwise restless cities. Shooting on medium-format film, Nguan describes his work as a “compulsion”, having spent more than a decade capturing candid photos of passers-by and observing the city and its occupants. PNguan has produced work in Los Angeles (’City of Dreams’, 2004–11), Tokyo (’Shibuya’, 2008–10), Coney Island (2008), as well as photo-essays in New York City and Beijing. In addition, Nguan has published two photobooks, Shibuya (2010) and How Loneliness Goes (Math Paper Press, 2013). Last month, Nguan’s photos reached an even wider audience when he took over the New Yorker’s Instagram account for one week.
Born and raised in Singapore, Nguan was first exposed to the US while studying Film and Video Production at Northwestern University in Illinois. During this time, Nguan bought a small camera to photograph people and places to inspire ideas for future screenplays, but these “isolated fragments of time” quickly became Nguan’s solitary focus. As Nguan explains in How Loneliness Goes: “[my photographs] affirm the tenuous margins that divide maturity or worldliness from a sort of brokenness, and melancholy from a kind of peace”.
Nguan remains distinctly private, preferring not to have his photographs become diluted by any element of celebrity that his large following might encourage. Having exhibited around the world, and with photographs as part of Singapore Art Museum’s permanent collection, Nguan is currently working towards publishing a photobook based on his ‘Singapore’ series.
All Images by @nguanblr – head to Nguan’s website for see more.