Braving the Rain

Photograph Print by Yip Cheong Fun.

This artwork is mounted on mattboard.

Down Memory Lane in Singapore:
Braving the Rain

This dramatic prize-winning picture shows the quiet determination of street vendors in  Chinatown in the Fifties. Rain or shine, these street vendors plied their trades along the narrow roads. They yelled and yapped to attract patronage. As the downpour continued, the roads became deserted. A woman braved the rain and the blustery wind. Wearing a big straw hat and a rain-coat, she strode confidently down the wet and slippery road,  pushing her cart along. She could have taken shelter in a five-foot way and patiently waited for the rain to stop, but she chose the tough way. Such tough-mindedness had helped early immigrants to face difficult circumstances and boldly meet the storms of adversity in those days of trials and tribulations. Life, after all, is like a compulsory roller coaster ride. You could close your eyes in fear, cowering throughout the ride, or face the twists and turns,  the ups and downs and exult in its thrills and spills. This is one of Yip` s photographs to depict the lives of the early pioneers in Singapore and their legacy and heritage of endeavour.

 Braving the Rain in Chinese refers to one`s readiness to face the blustery wind and rain, and this depicts the tenacity and resolve of the early pioneers of Singapore. For the brave,  life isn`t about surviving storms; it `s how to dance in the rain. Glorious is the spirit of rain; know then that the season is changing.

Yip Cheong-Fun, the Master Photographer, had the rare gifts of creating photographs carrying a telling message with images forged by a combination of all the crucial elements involved such as content, composition, light and timing. Moved by these rare qualities, the Photographic Society of New York, elected him to be The Honorary Outstanding Photographer of the Century (the Century`s seascape specialist.)  Yip was also a recipient of the Cultural Medallion conferred by the Government of Singapore, the highest national award given to an individual in recognition for his or her achievement and contribution to art and culture. A  Memorial Award for international photography was named after Yip  Cheong-Fun and recognised worldwide.