Digital Photo Media Week 6: Robert Zhao

Photographer: Robert Zhao

Type of Photography: Documentry

Robert Zhao is a renowned photographer and artist from Singapore. I went to National Museum a few days back to look at the different exhibitions and I came across his installation, photographs of trees. In his work 'Singapore, Very Old Tree', is an impersonal image of anonymous trees and gardeners in Singapore. The first five pictures were taken at the exhibition and unfortunately, those were the only few pictures that I took. 

I love how his works are all almost desaturated or in black and white in most parts of the picture while the tree is the brightest and greenest. It almost looks like the trees are glowing. I would recommend people to go and see his artwork because there's a huge difference between what you see online and when you're there at the exhibit. When I look at all the pictures, it gives me a sense of home, a sense of Singapore and how we should appreciate nature more. What's special about his work is that in almost every photo, there's a person standing infront of the tree. One of my favourites is the durian tree in bukit panjang forest, I hate durians but the story behind it is interesting, there's a regular forager, Mr Teo Teah On(66 years old) who has been returning to this tree for the past seven years as it produces the sweetest fruit.