Rui En Art Directs Her Own Cover Shoot

For the shoot, Rui En leads us to a coffee shop in Sin Ming, Why? Cos I’m a kopitiam kind of girl and I want the photos to show that, she explains. Should we add that the kopitiam is surrounded by funeral parlours? No, not creepy at all.

Impressed by the photos? Turns out Rui En was schooled by the greats. She says: When I was in primary school, my mum would nick American Vogue when she traveled on SQ and I would pore through it at home. That was like my education. I was fascinated with the images. So, whenever I see an image that strikes me, I save it. I have a whole archive of photos I like that inspired this shoot. There’s no running theme to it. I just wanted to try something new, something different. I must say that today’s shoot is the most ‘me’ photo shoot I’ve ever done."

There are many things one can say about Rui En. And being opinion-less is not one of them. You can say that having control over how I look in photos is important. But I wouldn’t say it’s of utmost importance, she says. After all, there are things that you can’t control, like what’s written about you or whatever’s on social media. But after 13 years, I’m very clear of what I like and don’t like, what I want and don’t want, what works for me and what doesn’t.

When it comes to unforgettable photo shoots, this one ranks high on the list. Especially after Rui En changed into her final outfit which included a long, diaphanous piece of red cloth draped over her. We recall the moment here: She starts twirling, simultaneously tugging at the cloth and pulling it across her face. It’s a haunting image — both artsy interpretive dance and Chinese ghost-bride horror movie. We worry that she might suffocate. Then she screams, sorry, wails, and starts to contort herself underneath the red fabric like it’s the Exorcism of Rui En.

This story features excerpts from Rui En's cover story in Issue 1265, Jan 15, 2015