Working at the intersection of performance, moving image and installation, Charmaine Poh’s evocative artistic practice unravels questions related to memory, care and embodiment.

Her works have been presented at the Singapore Art Museum, Seoul Museum of Art, REDCAT in Los Angeles, and the 60th Venice Biennale. Based in Berlin and Singapore, she is the co-founder of independent online publication Jom and is also a member of the Asian Feminist Studio for Art and Research. Named Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year for 2025, she continues to gain international recognition for her nuanced, interdisciplinary practice and powerfully feminist diasporic lens.

What drives you as a creative?

With every work I make and every encounter I have, I hope something shifts. What, exactly, is less discernible, but broadly a sense of closeness and intimacy with oneself.

What is the one achievement to date you are proudest of and why?

Someone once messaged me about my photographs. Their brother, who was gay, had a tragic death and a troubled life. They said my photographs made them see their brother’s face a little clearer. I remember reading the message when I woke up, and then immediately bursting into tears. I have received more responses like this since, but this was one of the first and it has stayed with me.

How have you overcome the most significant challenges you have encountered in your journey?

One of the most important things one can do is to let go of one’s ego. Sometimes, there is no need to justify, beg, compensate, defend or be validated. Knowing when and when not to respond has given me a lot of peace.

Why is pushing the boundaries of film, photography and performance important when it comes to cultural storytelling?

In the same way that our worlds were constructed, they can also fall apart. We know this about any world order. Having different ways in which things can come together and disperse can help us think of more prevalent affinities. Sitting in ambiguity gives us more empathy.

Looking forward, what is one change you want to see in the art industry and what can we do to get there?

A practice that I’ve come across in Europe has been to have a fee calculator for freelance artists and arts workers, which can be applied across forms of labour, from exhibitions to grant applications. Some examples are Kreativ Kultur Berlin’s resource centre, and Kunstenaars Honorarium’s artist fee guideline. I would like to see this in Singapore.