vignes balasingam
5. the key smith
Born in 1951 on this very corner of Chow Kit road, Mr Hau began working as a key smith at the age of 16. He has been working at this little road side stall ever since then. He has two children and he has successfully educated and married them off.
I remember this stall as a child looking at it from the window of my father's car. I just had to stop and ask him if he was the same man in my memory. He laughed and told me "I have been here for over 40 years so I guess I must be him". I was thrilled.
Mr. Haw is what he said I should call him. We chatted for a good 40 minutes. He gave me a brief history of this corner. What it used to be like when he was a child, as a teenager and as the sole proprietor of this fine street stall.
He says that he sometimes takes calls. The day I met him he told me that he had just gone elsewhere to make a key for someone who locked himself out of his car. The money on those jobs are much better. I asked him how much longer will he work. His answer was "As long as I can. I'll go crazy staying at home". And when I asked him if I could take his photograph, he more than obliged.
A very talented man with a penchant for making keys.
My project of public portraits. I've given myself a project of photographing different people from all walks of life. The project requires me to get a little information about what they do or why they were there. Its a little inquisition to the people I share my environment with. The numeral preceding the title indicates the photograph number in the sequence.
This photograph was featured on Spotlight Seven
©2008 Vignes Balasingam
All rights reserved.
5. the key smith
Born in 1951 on this very corner of Chow Kit road, Mr Hau began working as a key smith at the age of 16. He has been working at this little road side stall ever since then. He has two children and he has successfully educated and married them off.
I remember this stall as a child looking at it from the window of my father's car. I just had to stop and ask him if he was the same man in my memory. He laughed and told me "I have been here for over 40 years so I guess I must be him". I was thrilled.
Mr. Haw is what he said I should call him. We chatted for a good 40 minutes. He gave me a brief history of this corner. What it used to be like when he was a child, as a teenager and as the sole proprietor of this fine street stall.
He says that he sometimes takes calls. The day I met him he told me that he had just gone elsewhere to make a key for someone who locked himself out of his car. The money on those jobs are much better. I asked him how much longer will he work. His answer was "As long as I can. I'll go crazy staying at home". And when I asked him if I could take his photograph, he more than obliged.
A very talented man with a penchant for making keys.
My project of public portraits. I've given myself a project of photographing different people from all walks of life. The project requires me to get a little information about what they do or why they were there. Its a little inquisition to the people I share my environment with. The numeral preceding the title indicates the photograph number in the sequence.
This photograph was featured on Spotlight Seven
©2008 Vignes Balasingam
All rights reserved.