Curator Chelsea Chua reads historical fiction and non-fiction to expand her world view

Who: Chelsea Chua, 44, is an arts producer and curator who is co-curating the Jakarta International Photo Festival in September. She left her post as programme director at Objectifs – Centre for Photography And Film, where she had worked for 11 years, to pursue graduate studies, but remains affiliated with the arts centre as a strategic consultant. At Objectifs, she worked closely with artists, photographers and film-makers from across South-east Asia on exhibitions, screenings and developmental programmes. Her research interests include documentary visual storytelling and community-building.

“I have two books on the go at the moment. The first is The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. It is a wonderful piece of historical fiction about a Jewish and black community set in Pennsylvania, US, in the 1920s.