Vignes Balasingam
Vignes Balasingam is a curator and photographer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is the director of the prestigious OBSCURA Festival of Photography. This website is a gallery of selected works from his personal and commercial photographic practice as well as links to current and past projects. Vignes Balasingam graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Contemporary Music Writing from the University of Westminster, London.
Corporate + Govt. Clientele
Deutsche Bank (Hong Kong)
NokiaSiemens (Malaysia)
Leighton Asia (Hong Kong)
Franklin Templeton (Malaysia)
Shell (Malaysia)
PEMANDU (Malaysia)
Sarawak Energy (Malaysia)
Ogilvy PR (Malaysia)
Siemens (Malaysia)
Draft FCB
Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development, Malaysia
Ministry of Federal Territories, Malaysia
Editorial
The New York Times
Financial Times
Getty Global Assignments
Mens Folio (Malaysia) KLUE (Malaysia)
Junk Magazine (Malaysia)
Cubes Magazine (Australia & Singapore)
Non-profit Clientele
Mercy Malaysia
UNHCR
UNICEF
Amnesty International Malaysia
Curriculum Vitae
2019
Nominator
Joop Swart Masterclass for Southeast Asia and Ocenia
Creative Director
OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2018
Curator
we will have been young, ILHAM Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Curator
Confluence by Ian Teh
Judge
Open Walls Arles 2018
Director & Curator
OBSCURA Festival of Photogrpahy
Jury
The Fence 2018
Jury
Travel Photographer Asia 2018
Moderator
In Conversation With Manit Sriwanichpoom, A+ Gallery
2017
Nominator
6x6 Global Talent Programme, World Press Photo
Creative Director, Workshop Mentor & Picture Editor
Children Without : UNICEF Report on Urban Child Poverty in Kuala Lumpur
Nominator
Getty Images-Instagram Grant 2017
Mentor
Master of Arts, Photography Studies College, Melbourne, Australia
Guest Curator
Jeon Ju International Photographhy Festival, South Korea
Jury
POPCAP African Prize for Contemporary Photography 2017
Guest Curator
Photo 17, Zürich, Switzerland
Director
OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2016
Jury
Kuala Lumpur International Photo Awards 2016
Curator
Songs From The Nusantara for The Chennai Photo Biennale.
Jury
Travel Photographer Asia 2016
Jury
POPCAP Award For African Photography 2016
Director
OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2015
Lecture, A Quick Look at Photographs : The Active Role of Photography In Shaping Our Understanding of the World, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang
PERSON(A)
Artistic Director
Group Exhibition, MAP KL, Publika, Malaysia
Photographs From the Land, talk at The Nikon Center, Kuala Lumpur
Take Photo for What
Talk at Yale University NUS Campus, Singapore
Exhibition Curator, Travel Photographer Asia
Jury, POPCAP Award For African Photography 2015
Director
OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2014
Produced, Co-Edited & Published Confluence, for Ian Teh (Panos)
Guest Portfolio Reviewer
Angkor Photo Festival
Director
OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2009-2013
2013 - Present
Advisory Panel, Asia-Pacific Photobook Archive, Melbourne, Australia
2013 - Present
Director, OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2013 - Present
Director, Monsoon AIR (Artist In-residence)
2012
Head Curator, Fotoprojek
2009
Winner of the Golden Scarf
Foundry Photojournalism Workshops, Manali, India
2009
Winner
Best Album Artwork, 16th Malaysian Music Industry Awards (Anugerah Industri Muzik ke-16)
Newslink Archives
The Urgent Task of Documentation | Penang Art District, by Ellen Lee (2019)
What It's Like to be Young and In Love in Southeast Asia | CNN.com - by Stella Ko
Vignes Balasingam: Building a dream, one photo at a time - Star 2 / Rouwen Lin (2015)
More Than Selfies - The Bigger Picture on BFM, Podcast (2015)
PERSON(A) interview by Büro (2015)
Snapshots of Self - New Straits Times / Kerry Ann Augustin (2015)
Look And Learn - Lydia Koh / The Malay Mail Online
Photo Feature: OBSCURA Festival of Photography 2014 - Ling Low / POSKOD
OBSCURA Festival: Back Again...Even Bigger and Better - Opalyn Mok / The Malay Mail Online
Awaken Your Vision at OBSCURA Festival of Photography - N. Rama Lohan / The Star Online
These Pictures Can Talk - Malay Mail Online / Kenny Mah
Podcast Interview with Vignes Balasingam & Ian Teh - BFM 89.9 / Ezra Zaid & Caroline Oh (2013)
CV
2018
Judge
Open Walls Arles 2018
2018
Jury
The Fence 2018
2018
Jury
Travel Photographer Asia 2018
2018
Moderator
In Conversation With Manit Sriwanichpoom, A+ Gallery
2018
Director
OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2017
Nominator
6x6 Global Talent Programme, World Press Photo
2017
Creative Director, Workshop Mentor & Picture Editor
Children Without : UNICEF Report on Urban Child Poverty in Kuala Lumpur
2017
Nominator
Getty Images-Instagram Grant 2017
2017
Mentor
Master of Arts, Photography Studies College, Melbourne, Australia
2017
Guest Curator
Jeon Ju International Photographhy Festival, South Korea
2017
Jury
POPCAP African Prize for Contemporary Photography 2017
2017
Guest Curator
Photo 17, Zürich, Switzerland
2017
Director
OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2016
Jury
Kuala Lumpur International Photo Awards 2016
2016
Curator
Songs From The Nusantara for The Chennai Photo Biennale.
2016
Jury
Travel Photographer Asia 2016
2016
Jury
POPCAP Award For African Photography 2016
2016
Director
OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2015
Lecture, A Quick Look at Photographs : The Active Role of Photography In Shaping Our Understanding of the World
Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang
2015
PERSON(A)
Artistic Director
Group Exhibition, MAP KL, Publika, Malaysia
2015
Photographs From the Land, talk at The Nikon Center, Kuala Lumpur
2015
Take Photo for What
Talk at Yale University NUS Campus, Singapore
2015
Exhibition Curator, Travel Photographer Asia
2015
Jury, POPCAP Award For African Photography 2015
2015
Director
OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2014
Produced, Co-Edited & Published Confluence, for Ian Teh (Agence Vu, Panos)
2014
Guest Portfolio Reviewer
Angkor Photo Festival
2014
Director
OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2013 - Present
Advisory Panel, Asia-Pacific Photobook Archive, Melbourne, Australia
2013 - Present
Director, OBSCURA Festival of Photography
2013 - Present
Director, Monsoon AIR (Artist In-residence)
2012
Head Curator, Fotoprojek
2009
Winner of the Golden Scarf
Foundry Photojournalism Workshops, Manali, India
2009
Winner
Best Album Artwork, 16th Malaysian Music Industry Awards (Anugerah Industri Muzik ke-16)
Newslink Archives
What It's Like to be Young and In Love in Southeast Asia | CNN.com - by Stella Ko
Vignes Balasingam: Building a dream, one photo at a time - Star 2 / Rouwen Lin (2015)
More Than Selfies - The Bigger Picture on BFM, Podcast (2015)
PERSON(A) interview by Büro (2015)
Snapshots of Self - New Straits Times / Kerry Ann Augustin (2015)
Look And Learn - Lydia Koh / The Malay Mail Online
Photo Feature: OBSCURA Festival of Photography 2014 - Ling Low / POSKOD
OBSCURA Festival: Back Again...Even Bigger and Better - Opalyn Mok / The Malay Mail Online
Awaken Your Vision at OBSCURA Festival of Photography - N. Rama Lohan / The Star Online
These Pictures Can Talk - Malay Mail Online / Kenny Mah
Podcast Interview with Vignes Balasingam & Ian Teh - BFM 89.9 / Ezra Zaid & Caroline Oh (2013)