Obliterated by Cecilia Lim

Cecilia Lim | all galleries >> travel >> singapore > Obliterated


31 August 2007	Ubin Island, Singapore

Obliterated

Some couples were laid to rest side by side at the chinese cemetery, sharing the same tomb. However, the photo of this man's wife is conspicuously missing and inked out in red. We can only wonder why...

Canon EOS 30D

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Cecilia Lim		08-Jul-2008 18:10
Thanks Phil and Tim for coming to this image. I made this image because of its evocative nature. It forces us to ask questions and encourages our imagination to search for answers. Phil, you offer us one explanation but I came up with more when I searched for my own answers. It made me wonder if his wife was cremated instead. Or if the wife wished to be buried elsewhere, perhaps on the main island. It made me wonder if this man was an immigrant who intended to bring his wife over to Singapore, but unfortunately due to circumstances, never succeeded before his demise. I wondered if perhaps he was divorced. Back in those days, chinese men could have several wives. Was there a strain in family ties? So many questions come to mind.

Tim May		07-Jul-2008 17:16
It is an image that causes thought.

Phil Douglis		21-Jun-2008 19:24
I would guess that the wife is still living, and the man paid for this tombstone in advance. On the other hand, your perception speaks of retribution.

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