©2016-2024, archemistinthemaking
Whenever I participate in networking events, I’m often asked how to get a job (in an architecture office).
Having spent almost two years finding work while trying to bury the envy I have of my peers – I know as well as anyone else, it came down to a combination of hard work, effort, the willingness to grow and a bit of luck.
But if you were to ask for a sincere answer, I would say, it was a matter of desperation.
Desperation.
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Before I release this season
Hey there,
Before we begin the podcast – I should let you know that – there will be times where my conversations will be reflecting on things that occurred four, five or even ten years ago. And while I get that the curriculums, thoughts and principles do evolve over time – I hope what I’ve seen in the past and what will be later discussed demonstrates a sense of optimism in change. I look forward to seeing myself grow in these conversations and hope that it will continue to reignite my love for teaching - something that I sadly relinquished when I began my journey in professional practice.
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Recently, I found myself laughing sarcastically at a community member on the architecture forum puzzling on the lack of drawings in our media publication. As a frequent writer of architecture and design reviews, this has been something I’ve often asked architects whenever I’ve been delivered a press release package. Often, I’ll be given a couple of good sentences (at worst, a two-sentence project that had me go hunting at other publications to pull out details), and some lovely images of hero interior (and the occasional tired photo of a furniture piece that we know will later be questioned by the public on its practicality). While I absolutely adore the photographs being provided, I find that my writing does not excel as much as I’d like – especially when I’m looking at a set of press photos that only showcases one room when the promotional package explores several spaces.
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En route to Teshima (October, 2023)
The first half of the year felt almost non-existent, if anything it feels like I’ve found myself coming into life during the last four months of this year. A combination of burnout, stress from new responsibilities and unknowing life pressures came to fruition. That is not to say I have forgotten certain moments that occurred during the start of the year – I allowed romance into my life that led to disappointment, allowed new friendships to come into my life and accepted with peace that it is okay to let go some of the responsibilities that you’ve held onto for a long time.
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Still from Past Lives (2023), Celine Song
Past Lives dives into the ‘what if’’ of almost relationships and closure that many people often sought after. In this narrative, we are surrounded by three main characters: the sweethearts Na Young (also known as Nora, played by Greta Lee), Hae Sung (played by Teo Yoo) and Na Young’s husband Arthur (played by John Magaro). The film is anchored by the blossoming romance between Nora and Hae Sung that is cut short by external forces, and after a considerable time in between their own lives, the two friends reunite and answer unsaid questions that must have haunted them during their absence in communication. These are answered through awkward conversations that almost feel like small talk, added the cultural difference between the two allows the audience to see the inevitability of the outcome of this friendship.
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With Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian - Photo by A. Tang
With the theme Magic, Matter and Memory being the anchor for the commissioned artists’ brief – NGV triumphantly returns with another Triennial Exhibition (and one I look forward to every three years!) that shouts bigger, better and awe. In this third instalment – the characteristic of the installation feels cohesive in comparison to the previous. The collection this time feels more vibrant and as always reflective on society’s cultural and zeitgeist shift in the past couple of years. In essence – it is resemblant to an insight of the explosive moments during the artist’s creative process.
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A few months ago, by coincidence, I was finally introduced to the world of ChatGPT – or in layman’s terms artificial intelligence. It was in a writing workshop, where our tutor who was running lessons on copywriting demonstrated how he uses the infamous function to assist with their writing. While many of us left the class with laughs, the humour quickly simmered down to a sombre tone when many of us pondered about our future in writing.
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Do You Believe In Astrology? (2016)
It took me nearly four years to finally grasp that feeling of wanting to design something for myself – where the direction, while guided and navigated by my peers, but towards the end came into fruition of something that I believe in.
Looking back at my architectural education – it felt like majority of my work was predominantly shaped by a combination of envy and the desire to feel validated for my design. A deep level of insecurity was sparked from jumping into another world without being aware of the lingo nor the terminologies others have been equipped with already. For me, coming from a school that prioritised final grades for reputation – it seemed like the only solution for me to understand or adjust to each semester was designing through the lens of my tutor.
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Still from Barbie (2023) - Courtesy of People Magazine
Last week, eyes coated in hot pink and armed with three Barbies and one Ken, I became a part of the pink-cladded audience to watch Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated. After all the intense marketing from the franchise that included Architectural Digest’s coverage of the captivating Barbie set to the two hundred plus Barbie Pink collaborated everyday products – I was anticipating that this movie would rewrite Barbie’s political rhetoric that has continually evolved. However, I later found myself watching the film but with exhaustion…
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That Time Where I went to Tasmania to Sit with Sadness - 14 July, 2022
Captured on Minolta Riva Zoom 75w, Film - Fuji Superia Premium
I won’t deny that this year has had its various ups and downs. What felt like a year that was filled with starts and stops also felt like a year of wandering through a blanket of haze. There would be days when I wish time would slow down for me, and there would be days where I resented the slowness of time. I watched people whom I admire opening themselves to another avenue, while I am asking myself whether I am demanding enough to meet the expectations of myself at work. The dynamic of spectating others and their growth while struggling to witness my own was distinguishable – added the internal reviews asking me whether I am getting what I want in a relatively mentally fatiqued state made me wonder if I felt satisfied from those discussions after all.
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