The air hums,
neither still
nor hurried,
as the island
turns its face toward the eastern light,
the morning
settles on painted walls.
Tea & Photo Pairing
Tea has long been part of my daily life. Over the years, it has become a way of paying attention: to slow down, to observe, and to find meaning in small gestures. It was through this shared appreciation for craft and contemplation that this collaboration with artéfact came naturally.
For Short Stories Vol. 1 – Penang : in between light, I wanted to extend the exhibition beyond the photograph itself. Each Polaroid reproduction is paired with a tea selected together with artéfact, creating a quiet dialogue between image and flavour. The pairings were not conceived as illustrations, but as echoes. A morning street, a temple filled with incense, a familiar kitchen, or a glimpse of foliage softened by light each found resonance in the character of a particular tea.
Both photography and tea ask for a similar kind of attention. They invite us to pause, to notice subtle details, and to experience time differently. Through these pairings, I hoped to create a more intimate encounter with the work, where memory might be approached not only through sight, but also through scent, taste, and atmosphere.
Together, the photographs and teas form a small collection of impressions from Penang — fragments of light, place, and remembrance gathered over time and shared through two practices that continue to shape the way I look at the world.
artéfact paris
Located in the Marais district of Paris, artéfact is an independent tea atelier dedicated to the sourcing and presentation of fine teas. Over the years, it has become one of the places I return to most often, drawn by the care with which each tea is selected and shared.
The teas presented there are the result of extensive research and close relationships with producers, reflecting not only craftsmanship and origin, but also the stories and landscapes behind each harvest. Recognised by the Collège Culinaire de France as a Producteur–Artisan de Qualité, artéfact has established a distinctive approach to tea that values attention, authenticity, and a deep respect for the people who make it possible.
A personal exhibition presented at artéfact, Paris, from November 2025 to April 2026. Bringing together photographs made across several years, the project reflected on the quiet ways memory inhabits place. Through walls touched by morning light, familiar streets, domestic interiors, and fleeting encounters, the works traced a personal geography shaped as much by absence as by presence. Accompanied by curated tea pairings, the exhibition proposed a contemplative space where image, flavor, and remembrance converged, offering a meditation on home, distance, and the enduring imprint of light.