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Bio/Contact

Zakaria Zainal was born and raised in Singapore in 1985, as a Malay-Muslim son in a Chinese dominated society. He makes meaning of the world through his photographs. Enticed by the visceral changes of a former monarchy’s transition to a federal republic in Nepal, he first picked up his camera.

 

Artist Bio.

 

Zakaria Zainal makes meaning of the world through his photographs. Enticed by the visceral changes of a former monarchy’s transition to a federal republic in Nepal, he first picked up his camera. His first monograph, Our Gurkhas: Singapore Through Their Eyes is an anthology of portraits and anecdotes of the retired Singapore Gurkhas as they reminisce about life in the Lion City, from the 1950s till today.  Subsequently, he co-wrote The Invisible Force: Singapore Gurkhas – a continuation of his fascination for the Singapore Gurkha diaspora.

His photographs and text interrogate space and memory vis-a-vis visual projects which include: the 2013 Little India riot; living histories of forgotten Singapore islanders; the aura of religion within the Covid-19 pandemic; and the declining Malay-Muslim mutual benefit organisations. His visual projects are collected by the National Museum of Singapore and exhibited internationally. He graduated from Hyper Island and NTU’s School of Communication. 

Selected Links

2025 - Penulis S’pura imbau detik cemas semasa gempa bumi di Nepal. Berita Harian. Singapore.

2025 - Book Talk: With Zakaria Zainal and Sahina Shrestha. Himal Khabar. Nepal.

2025 - What do we remember when we remember the 2015 earthquake? - Kalam Weekly. Nepal.

2025 - 'Where were you when the earthquake hit in 2072?' - Setopati. Nepal.

2025 - Khairat Kita: Youths championing the legacy of Malay/Muslim mutual aid. Singapore.

2022 - Buku pertama rakam sejarah badan khairat Singapura dilancarkan. Berita Mediacorp. Singapore.

2022 - "It's about trade-offs...What is being lost?" | Book Launch of Khairat Kita : Documenting a legacy of community aid. Ethos Books. Singapore.

2022 - Sembang Ilmu Series #08 – From Cradle to Grave – From Tradition to Preservation. Malay Heritage Foundation. Singapore.

2022 - Khairat Kita: Interview with Fauzy Ismail and Zakaria Zainal. Asian Books Blog. Singapore.

2022 - Prihatin masa depan badan khairat. Berita Harian. Singapore.

2019 - Seenthesis: Visual Literacy Through Singapore Photography. Singapore.

2021 - New National Museum show captures experiences of a pandemic year. The Peak Magazine. Singapore.

2018 - Stories From Our Fringe Communities. WKWSCI Alumni Magazine.

2017 – 'Why must we be afraid of being old?'. The Straits Times.

2016 – The Photographer. Living off his passion for personal projects. The Straits Times.

2015 – Project reunites islanders on St John's after 4 decades, The Straits Times.

2015 – Works That Captured The Imagination, The Business Times.

2015 – Forgotten Singapore: evicted islanders grieve for lost 'paradise'. South China Morning Post.

2015 – The last Malay islanders in Singapore. Malaysiakini. 

2014 – 30 recall Little India riot in new book, The Straits Times.

2014 – Mothership Q&A: A glimpse of Gurkhas book authors Chong Zi Liang and Zakaria Zainal. Mothership.

2012 – Our Gurkhas. Nepali Times. 

2012 – Singapore Gurkhas: Chat with Zakaria Zainal. iremembersg. 

 

 
 

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Media, Recognition, Talks & Selected Clients

 

Media & Recognition

2022 - Sembang Ilmu Series #08 – From Cradle to Grave – From Tradition to Preservation. Malay Heritage Foundation. Singapore.

2022 - Khairat Kita: Interview with Fauzy Ismail and Zakaria Zainal. Asian Books Blog. Singapore.

2022 - Prihatin masa depan badan khairat. Berita Harian. Singapore

2021 - Where Is Home For The Gurkhas?

2021 - New National Museum show captures experiences of a pandemic year. The Peak Magazine. Singapore.

2021 - Projek 'Khairat Kita' sorot badan khairat mapan. Berita Harian. Singapore.

2019 - Seenthesis: Visual Literacy Through Singapore Photography. Singapore.

2016 - Pameran kehidupan masyarakat Gurkha Singapura. Berita Harian. Singapore.

2015 – Singapore Gurkhas Photography Museum, The Invisible Photographer Asia. Singapore. 

2015 - Project reunites islanders on St John's after 4 decades. Straits Times.

2015 - A new photo exhibition tells the stories of Singapore's evicted Southern Islanders. BK Asia.

2014 - Riot Recollections: Interview by Ethos Books with Prabhu Silvam and Zakaria Zainal

2014 - Mothership Q&A: A glimpse of Gurkhas book authors Chong Zi Liang and Zakaria Zainal

2013 – Our Gurkhas, Verve Photo: The New Breed of Documentary Photographers. 

2012 – TODAY. Youth Focus. Singapore.

2012  Honourable Mention, Photo Annual Awards 2012 for Our Gurkhas. Czech Republic.

2012 – Honourable Mention, Fotovisura Grant 2011 for Our Gurkhas. United States. 

2012 – Selected Artist, The Philanthropic Museum. Singapore.   

Exhibitions

2021 - Picturing the Pandemic: A Visual Record of COVID-19 in Singapore. National Museum. Singapore (Group)

2021 - Margins: drawing pictures of home. Singapore International Photography Festival, co-presented by ArtScience Museum. Singapore (Group)

2012 – CUT 2012: New Photography From Southeast Asia. Valentine Willie Fine Art Gallery. Singapore (Group). 

2012 – Singapore Survey: New Strange Faces. Valentine Willie Fine Art Gallery. Singapore (Group).

2012 – Open Call. 3rd Singapore International Photography Festival. Singapore (Group).

2012 – Our Gurkhas: Singapore Through Their Eyes, A Traveling Exhibition. photo.circle. Nepal (Solo).

2012 – Our Gurkhas: Singapore Through Their Eyes. Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival. Nepal (Solo).

2012 – Our Gurkhas, DIVERCITY. Singapore International Foundation. Singapore (Group). 

Selected Talks

2021 - A Lighter Side Of History: Documenting 'A Reclusive Ramadan'. National Museum of Singapore. Singapore.

2011 – Our Gurkhas. TEDxYouth Singapore. Singapore.

2013 – Where is home for Singapore Gurkhas. TEDx Singapore. Singapore.

Selected Commercial Clients

Grundfos Singapore / Singapore Memory Project / Shinnyo-en Singapore / Methodist Welfare Services / Studiowonghuzir / Checkpoint Theatre / W!LD RICE / Schneider Electric / MAN / Lighting Planners Associates / Dragon Wealth / AR43 / Gypsied / Pictet / Fullerton Healthcare Group 

Selected Editorial Clients

Anadolu Agency / Chronicle of Higher Education / Le Nouvel Observateur / art4d / FT Weekend / POSKOD / Nepali Times / Republica / Singapore Architect / Caring Magazine (CGH) / Challenge / MODUS / More Space / SCMP / Kaleidoscope Media

Credits & Copyright

Photography & text by Zakaria Zainal. All images copyright © 2008-2024 Zakaria Zainal. Zainal & Zainal LLP (Reg No: T11LL1809H). All images and text on this website are property of Zakaria Zainal and are protected by international copyright laws. No images or text may be used or reproduced in any form without the written permission of Zakaria Zainal. Photographs on this website are available for collection as limited edition prints. Do get in touch in the contact form.