Dr Yong Ding Li
Yong Ding Li coordinates BirdLife International’s regional work on conserving migratory species in Asia, with a focus on the endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Ding Li completed his doctoral studies in biodiversity conservation at the Australian National University and has extensively studied birds and other wildlife in the Asia-Pacific region. Ding Li also works closely with the Nature Society (Singapore) and has supported its bird conservation work for 20 years.  Besides the sciences, Ding Li is also particularly interested in art and the representation of wildlife and has worked closely with artist Robert Zhao on many projects, besides being a self-taught wildlife artist.

 

Robert Zhao Renhui
Robert Zhao Renhui (b. 1983, Singapore) is a multi-disciplinary artist and the founder of the Institute of Critical Zoologists. His artistic practice addresses the human relationship with nature. Zhao received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Photography from Camberwell College of Arts and London College of Communication respectively. His work has been exhibited in international group shows such as Busan Biennale 2020; Singapore Biennale 2019; Asia Pacific Triennial, Queensland, Australia, 2018; Jiwa: Jakarta Biennale, Indonesia, 2017; 7th Moscow Biennale, Russia, 2017; 20th Sydney Biennale, Australia 2016; Les Recontres d’Arles, France, 2015. Amongst his more recent solo exhibitions in Singapore are The Nature Museum, commissioned by Singapore International Festival of Art (SIFA) and The Bizarre Honour, realized for OH! Open House, both in 2017. Zhao has undertaken residencies at the Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, France, and Kadist Art Foundation, San Francisco, United States, and the Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan. He was awarded Young Artist Award by National Arts Council in 2010 and was a finalist of Hugo Boss Asia Art Award 2017.

Dr Lai Chee Kien
Lai Chee Kien is an architectural and urban historian, and a registered architect in Singapore. He graduated from the National University of Singapore with an M Arch. by research [1996], and a PhD in History of Architecture & Urban Design from the University of California, Berkeley [2005]. His publications include Cords to Histories (2013), Through the Lens of Lee Kip Lin (2015) [Best Non-Fiction Title, 2016], Building Memories: People, Architecture, Independence (2016) [Book of the Year], The Singapore Chronicles: Architecture (2019) and Early Hawkers in Singapore (2020). He researches on histories of art, architecture, settlements, urbanism and landscapes in Southeast Asia.

 

Dr Yeo Kang Shua
Burrowing in darkened archive rooms, consulting books in libraries, directing architectural conservation work on sites and, more recently, conducting analysis in laboratories are an extension of Dr Yeo’s life. Trained as an architect and architectural historian, his research interest is primarily in the area of architectural conservation. Dr Yeo counts himself fortunate to have been involved in the restoration of some of Singapore’s religious and institutional buildings and awarded the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2010 and 2014 for the effort. The opportunity to get to know Singapore’s built landscapes better is something he relishes of his work, and he believes that everyone can too. Do not look at architecture. See architecture.