Love can happen anywhere. That’s the message Peter Draw wants to spread through his post-post modern art movement.
What is post-post? According to Peter Draw, it’s akin to graffiti, but with a digital delivery. He explains, “Firstly, post means ‘after’. So you have something such as a photograph, that’s bound to be manipulated some time after it’s been taken — either with a filter or superimposed image. Then, what do you do with this manipulated image? That’s where the second post comes in, which reflects the Internet age we now live in, where you’ll likely post the picture on Twitter or share it as an Instagram post.”
Essentially, everyone could be a post-post artist but this movement, in which Peter wants to pioneer, is best understood by a quick look at the artist’s highly curated Instagram account, where his creation called Ai (hanyu pinyin for 愛, which means love) is illustrated into travel photos taken by hundreds of his partner photographers. Thus, promoting that love can truly happen anywhere.
Here, we’ll walk you through, city by city, the wonderful world of post-post as each of Peter’s partner photographers share a bit about the cities they love and have had the privilege of capturing. First up is Singaporean Lee Yik Keat, a 22-year-old self-taught camera whizz, who’s carved out a strong urban photography portfolio with clients ranging from YTL Hotels to Samsung. Lee Yik Keat shares about the photos he’s taken during his maiden trip to Kyoto.
Tell us a remarkable encounter that happened within the area you captured.
It was my first time in Kyoto and I was super lucky that the cherry blossom season was earlier than everyone expected. I did not expect to be there for it but when the streets were streaked with pink, my jaw dropped.
How about the man in the train that you photographed? Do you know him?
No. I decided to take a picture of him because it was a rare sight for me to see an elderly man so focused on reading. And his suit was perfectly cinematic. Also, I love train rides. This one was through plain fields and zooming past power lines — it’s a peaceful feeling and you feel like you’re in a movie of some sort.
What do you love most about Kyoto?
I love the cultural experiences and the city’s buildings, it’s filled with history and unique food.
And your least favourite bit?
There’s very little night life in Kyoto.
List some must-dos.
Visit the bamboo forest early in the morning, walk around the geisha streets and visit the local temples.