C’est la vie, mes amis.
Cointreau Singapore X Amanda Wong Photo Exhibition | Image credit : Sarah Oh
As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words”; it tells a better story than an essay built on words. True enough, last Friday’s affair brought vicarious pleasure in Paris through the eyes of Amanda Wong. Teaming up with Cointreau Singapore, the fashion and portrait photographer hosted her first solo photo exhibition at Objectifs. This exhibition explores Amanda’s journey in Paris from distinct landmarks to human interest, captured in photos that evoke joie de vivre in the city of love.
A glimpse of Paris with a French-inspired setting | Image credit : Sarah Oh
For Amanda, photography was an activity picked up under peer pressure. “Everyone owned a DSLR back then, so I got myself one too. And so my interest grew beyond a hobby, which became a profession,” she said. That passion, she found, puts together a beautiful retrospective of Paris that would have probably fuelled any wanderluster’s desire to travel on a Friday night.
Green meadow with lush grass, decked with French-inspired settings | Image credit : Sarah Oh
As we continued chatting, Amanda shared her source of inspiration for photography with us. “In the beginning, my artwork was heavily inspired by Tumblr photos’ whimsical and dreamy aesthetic,” she told us.
Paris through Amanda’s eyes | Image credit : Sarah Oh
Since then, her journey with photography took off, which continued in an upward trajectory of her career. As Amanda’s work gradually becomes a mix of commercialised elements with various effects to create compelling and surreal photos, the crossover eventually becomes clear. “As I got more commercialised, you can see that my photos now incorporate both commercial and dream-like qualities,” she explained.
Amanda chats fervently with an attendee | Image credit : Sarah Oh
Before rushing off to entertain her guests, we threw Amanda our favourite question, “What’s one question nobody has ever asked you – that you wish they asked you?”
“What’s your personality really like?” The photographer flashed a wide grin with big actions. “People often perceived me as a sweet, dainty girl with no masculine airs or tomboy mannerisms. Instead, I’m just the opposite.”
