When a child is commodified
Deprived of the basic essentials for survival, children – viscerally afraid of an uncertain reality – can easily be led by the false promises of food, a decent wage, or even security and affection. Anna Malika, fashion designer and survivor of child sex trafficking, recollects her powerful and inspirational journey…
How gaming became an athletic event
Video games have come a long way from internet cafes and LAN shops, and the profitability of this popular pastime might just make Olympians out of enthusiasts
Dressed by Nature
Text by Rachel Kwek
Synthetic fabrics are ubiquitous in modern clothes but many of Asia’s traditional garments were made of natural fabrics that do not...
Who Peels Your Garlic: Inside Manila’s Informal Economy
By Geela Garcia
The garlic peeling industry in Baseco, Manila renders Filipino women among the least visible, worst paid, and most dispensable part of...
A Totem of her Generation
Identifying herself as a Franco-Belgian photographer of Chinese origin from Malaysia, Diana’s transient life between three different continents has informed most of the philosophy behind her photography. Diana explores the ancient ritual of adorning women with symbolic clothing, religious objects, amulets and heirloom jewellery. Her purpose is to fuse the past and the present, the traditional and the modern, and to effectively create new possibilities of defining a woman’s identity.
Above Sea Level
Long before the sun peeks over the horizon, artisanal fishermen across Malaysia’s Johor Strait gather at their respective jetties and beaches, looking forward to the day's bounty. Climate change now threatens their way of life, and many locals are powerless in the fight to bring climate change to the political forefront. The future of these coastal communities is filled with uncertainty.
Reviving the Ancient Silk Road
Oval faces and almond eyes characteristic of the ethnic Han Chinese people are hardly seen in this oasis city at the northwestern tip of the country, located almost 4,000 kilometres from Beijing. Belonging to the Uyghur ethnic minority, the people of Kashgar are of Turkic origin, following the Islamic faith and with Central Asian physical features.
In Search of the next Green Revolution – Advantage or Disaster?
Farmers transplant bright green rice seedlings onto grids drawn on the rich, ankle-deep mud. A few fields away, a water buffalo lazes in its...