Kelly Janine (she/they) is a 25 year-old freelance fashion and culture editor based in Singapore. Her writing has been published for print and on digital platforms such as Vogue Singapore, F/Zine (formerly known as Female), Grazia Singapore, etcetera.  Since 2022, she has been working on and off as an independent curator, image-maker, and journalist. 

In 2025, Kelly received her Master’s in Art History and Archeology (Southeast Asia) from London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), funded by the Alphawood Foundation Chicago. With her interest in Southeast Asian (im)material culture, Kelly’s dissertation examined 19th-century Thai Buddhist funerary manuscripts from the British Library’s collection in relation to Alfred Gell’s anthropological theory of visual art. 

Recently, Kelly joined the Heritage Research Policy & Research division at the National Heritage Board, where she manages projects related to Singapore’s historic sites and placemaking.

Profile photo courtesy of Kelly Janine. No part of this image may be reproduced in any form without permission.

  • Available upon request.

  • • NTU President Research Scholar for completion of Undergraduate Research Experience on CAmpus programme in AY 2021/2022

    • Dean's List for AY 2021/2022

    • Recipient of the inaugural Subra and Mary Suresh Gold Medal for the graduating class of 2024

    • Nominated for Nanyang Technological University’s Koh Tai Ann Gold Medal

    • Southeast Asian art, material culture, and heritage

    • Fashion and textiles in relation to themes of identity, photography, religion and the body

    • Exhibitions, museums, and public spaces

Past Exhibition: Let It Linger (2024)

Beginning as police barracks during Singapore’s post-war years, 195 Pearl’s Hill terrace (195PHT) has organically grown into the independent creative arts enclave we know of today that is home to various start-up businesses and craft studios.

However, the longevity of this space is uncertain (the lease was set to expire at the end of March 2026 at the time). It may seem pre-emptive to contemplate 195PHT’s fate months ahead, but the time is ripe for us to consider this location’s socio-historical significance and the implications of its loss.

Let It Linger is a group show that brings together textile, installation, and image-based works by six local artists: Agatha Lee, Crystal Lee, Liz Zhu, Kansh, Natalia Tan, and Veronyka Lau. Each artwork is a site-specific response to the final lines of Mikko Harvey’s poem “For M”, which serves as a thematic prompt to explore these questions: What is individually and collectively remembered about 195PHT? Do we sentimentally linger with nostalgia, leave to look towards alternative futures, or come back later for what is left behind?

Visitors are encouraged to explore the colonial building and reflect on our human tendency for sentimentality towards shared public spaces and art enclaves—especially since urban transformations in Singapore are inevitable.

*Update: As of  30. April 2025, the lease for 195PHT has been extended to March 2028.