Sean Cham
Class of 2019
Singaporean
Why Urban Studies?I've lived and grown up in a city, travelled to many other cities, and always wondered what made each city so different yet so similar. My interests lie in urban history and heritage, and the relationships between our memories and the built environment. I am interested in old places and modern ruins, as well as the processes and stories that follow obsolescence and abandonment.
What is your most memorable experience in the major to date?My most memorable experiences are always the city tours that we take for urban studies classes. Professor Jane Jacobs brought us around Singapore to look at different building typologies and patterns in the city for 'Cityscapes and Urban Forms', while Professor Chua Beng Huat showed us around the civic district and the URA for 'Housing and Social Inequality'. These classes have allowed me to view Singapore from different perspectives and lenses, and it's always great to be learning out of the classroom.
What are your other interests?I am a photographer and artist, and I often explore the relations between human and place in my works. One of my works, 'Yesteryears', explore the ruination of buildings in Singapore in the form of in-situ self portraits. I am currently working on a theatrical installation piece - 'First Storeys' - that explores the history of public housing in Singapore.
Which quality of the city do you like best?I like that cities are not fixed; regardless of how strict regulations are in each city, there will always be some form of 'resistance' or urban interventions which are always interesting.
