SINGAPORE’S HAWKER CULTURE IMMORTALISED
On 12 November 2021, 5-6pm SGT, 11am-12nn CET, we got to know some of the stories behind Singapore’s all-time favourite hawker food & centres at the Ambrosia for the People, Book Launch: Hawker Centre Food by KOH Hong Teng and LAI Chee Kien.
Discover how our hawker culture came about, the triumphs and setbacks of life as a hawker, and how Singapore’s iconic, but now endangered street food gained UNESCO Status. Hear more about the making of the book from the creators KOH Hong Teng and LAI Chee Kien, and Chuan YEO, Managing Director from Achates 360. The session will be moderated by HO Puay-peng, Lead Curator from our Singapore Pavilion.
This event is organised by the Singapore Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition at the La Biennale di Venezia in conjunction with Achates 360.
Watch the post-event recording below!
ABOUT THE CREATORS
KOH Hong Teng is a Singapore-based multiple award-winning graphic novel artist. He graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1993 and obtained his honours degree in Graphic Design (Illustration) at London College of Printing (The London Institute) in the following year. He self-published his first graphic novel titled 01321 in 1996. Page one of this novel went on to win the Gold Award in digital art category at the inaugural Siggraph Asia Pacific Animation and Digital Art Competition 2001. He continued winning accolades for his work after becoming a full-time comics artist in 2009. These include a Bronze Award at the 7th International MANGA Awards for Ten Sticks and One Rice and ‘Best Illustrated Non-fiction’ and ‘Book of the Year’ at the Singapore Book Awards in 2017 for “Building Memories”. He is distinguished by his meticulously detailed art and sensitive approach to fleshing out his characters.
LAI Chee Kien is Vice-President of the Society of Architectural and Urban Historians of Asia (SAUH-Asia), a Board Member of the Spatial Language Foundation of Arts and Culture (Taiwan), and an Advisory Council Member of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE). He is an architectural and urban historian, and a registered architect in Singapore researching on histories of art, architecture, settlements, urbanism, and landscapes in Southeast Asia. He obtained his PhD in Architectural History and Urbanism from University of California, Berkeley. Some of the awards he has won include Winner (as Supervisor of Studio Group), of the Mubin Sheppard Memorial Prize Cycle 9 (2010/2011) for the category of Conservation Area Study and Commendation Prize at the Royal Institute of British Architects President Medals and Student Awards 2013, for Mr. Srisaravanan Subramaniam’s Seva and the Shrine: Transcending the Boundaries of the Hindu Temple in Singapore.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Illustrated by award-winning local comic artist and painter Koh Hong Teng, Ambrosia for the People – Hawker Centre Food features 129 food stalls from 111 hawker centres across the island, showcasing all-time favourite dishes that Singaporeans young and old love and are proud of. Each illustration captures the hawkers in their stall settings, and an accompanying text provides snippets into life as a hawker, their triumphs and setbacks, as well as the tenacity and perseverance required in their daily lives. Ambrosia for the People – Hawker Centre Food is dedicated to food-loving readers and most importantly, to these tireless hawker heroes.
The book also features an opening essay by architectural and urban historian Dr Lai Chee Kien, author of “Early Hawkers in Singapore”.
BOOK SPECIFICATIONS
Ambrosia for the People – Hawker Centre Food by Koh Hong Teng and Lai Chee Kien
Publication date: 1 November 2021
160 x 230 mm paperback, S$19.90 (incl. GST), 978-981-18-2307-7
164 pages, perfect bind, with 129 illustrations and 18 black-and-white photographs
To aid readers with their food takeaways from these hawkers, each copy of “Ambrosia for the People – Hawker Centre Food” comes with a specially designed tote bag with an illustration of a hawker stall featured in the book. There are 4 designs in total to collect!
Each copy also allows readers to redeem a free Crispy Chicken Nasi Lemak Set from homegrown otah chain, Lee Wee & Brothers. More mechanics can be found in the bookmark within each book.
Additionally, with the keen desire to keep the hawker culture alive, Lee Wee & Brothers is sponsoring the print production of “Ambrosia for the People – Hawker Centre Food”, and co-sponsoring marketing efforts with local creative agency and the book’s publisher, Achates 360 to raise awareness for the hawker culture island-wide.
Find out more with #HawkerCentreFood
For enquiries, please contact:
Ms Ashley Ler
Achates 360 Pte Ltd | ashley@achates360.com | +65 9617 0978
Program
1700 – 1710 SGT / 1000 – 1010 CET
Greetings and Introductions!
1710 – 1720 SGT / 1010 – 1020 CET
Managing Director of Achates 360, Chuan Yeo’s Address
1720 – 1730 SGT / 1020 – 1030 CET
Dr Lai Chee Kien – Hawker Centres in Singapore
1730 – 1740 SGT / 1030 – 1040 CET
Koh Hong Teng – The Inevitable Discontinuation, The Inheritors, The New Immigrants and The New Tech-Breed
1740 – 1750 SGT / 1040 – 1050 CET
Q&A Session, Moderated by Prof. Ho Puay-Peng
1750 – 1800 SGT / 1050 – 1100 CET
Closing Statements
Program
1700 – 1710 SGT
1000 – 1010 CET
1710 – 1720 SGT
1010 – 1020 CET
1720 – 1730 SGT
1010 – 1020 CET
1730 – 1740 SGT
1010 – 1020 CET
1740 – 1750 SGT
1010 – 1020 CET
1750 – 1800 SGT
1010 – 1020 CET
Greetings and Introductions!
Managing Director of Achates 360, Chuan Yeo’s Address
Dr Lai Chee Kien – Hawker Centres in Singapore
Koh Hong Teng – The Inevitable Discontinuation, The Inheritors, The New Immigrants and The New Tech-Breed
Q&A Session;
Moderated by Lead Curator of the Singapore Pavilion, Prof. Ho Puay-Peng
Closing Statements
About ACHATES 360 PTE LTD
Established in 2001, Achates 360 is a creative agency providing a comprehensive suite of creative solutions for clients across various industries for their integrated marketing campaigns and publications.
In 2015, the company ventured into artbook publishing and garnered international accolades with its inaugural title – “Building Memories: People. Architecture. Independence.” as well as winning the prized “Book of the Year” award at the Singapore Book Awards in 2017. In 2019, the company released its second artbook “The Brook’s Clown” which was awarded gold in the DRIVENxDESIGN Hong Kong Design Awards.
The company welcomes collaboration with local and international content creators to introduce high-quality design artbooks on the world stage.
