SINGAPORE – An ongoing exhibition hopes to raise greater awareness on the decades-long practice of ferrying migrant workers on the back of lorries in Singapore and the safety issues which have long been discussed and debated upon.

 Titled A Journey By Lorry, the exhibition is the result of an online arts competition for migrant workers by migrant workers. It is held at Projector X: Riverside in Merchant Road from Sept 24 to Oct 9.

It was organised by Bangladeshi construction safety coordinator Md Sharif Uddin, 44, who has worked in Singapore for 14 years; Bangladeshi quality controller Ripon Chowdhury, 33, who has worked here for 12 years and is the founder of Migrant Workers Singapore – a volunteer-initiated platform for migrants workers in Singapore to showcase their talent – as well as Singaporean freelance educator G. Kethlyn Gayatiri, 30, a supporter of equitable treatment for marginalised groups. 

With the aim of bringing about positive change through the arts, the showcase features a collection of stories and poems by migrant workers reflecting on their experiences riding lorries to work. They collaborated with local photographers and artists, who provided images and illustrations in response to each poem.

A total of 112 entries were received from migrant workers and 30 shortlisted works are featured in the exhibition.

Here are some of the translated excerpts from shortlisted works alongside accompanying illustrations.

A Journey By Lorry Arts Exhibition

Where: Projector X: Riverside, 04-13 Riverside Point, 30 Merchant Road When: Sept 24 to Oct 9, Thursdays and Fridays, 4.30 to 10.30pm, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 10.30pm Admission: Free Info: https://str.sg/wrjR