Louder than words

DANIEL ADAMS is the Malaysian photographer who caught the world’s attention last year with his provocative visual story titled ‘Why Is Your English So Good?’.
Each of the 15 images in the series is accompanied by an anecdote that perfectly convey the blurred lines of identity and cultural norms.
Now, the 22-year-old photographer is back with a new project that explores the basics of batik.
The Batik Series places the focus on Malaysia’s vibrant communities, and was shot this July during a local music festival, with attendees volunteering as models.
How did you develop your interest in photography?
“I was never good with words when I was younger, so I managed to find an art form to express myself without having to speak. In that sense, I would allow my photos to speak for me because every time when I felt something when I was younger, I would [include] it in my photography.
“And then of course, there was an entire Flickr community back then which I joined, and became friends with all these amazing photographers.
“I even majored in photography during my A-Levels, that was when it really domino effect into where I am today.”
How has your photography style changed over the years?
“I used to make standalone images, so they were just individual conceptual images ... [I] felt that they were all over the place.
“Then I went to university to learn more about literature, photography, and how to actually create sets of images to strengthen my work.
“Right now, my work is very project-based; basically a series of images that have a stronger meaning, with more connection from one image to another, which, also translates better to the audience. It’s definitely more put together than it used to be and has an element of maturity in terms of its context.”
What is the idea behind The Batik Series?
“After studying photography in the UK for three years, I finally came back to Malaysia for good, I travelled for a bit, and got a new job.
“It had been three years so I felt quite out of touch with my culture, I decided to do a project to reintroduce myself to the place I call home that I’m so used to and fond of.
“By taking this beautiful textile [and using] it to bring the traditional and modern together; [it] not only [helped] me understand more of my culture [and] taught me more about batik, but also [helped] educate others.”
What are the similarities between your two photography projects?
“The Batik Series is a lot more easygoing and casual, it does have the same socio-political ideology behind it like the previous series but besides that, they are very different.
“It’s all about cultural diversity, inclusiveness, breaking down the barriers and taking away the labels we put on each other, to only see us [as] Malaysians.
“[Even] after I promoted it on my social media prior to the [music] festival, I was afraid no one was going to show up, but I ended up shooting over 160 people in two days.
“On the festival grounds, my little booth was a bit far back, so I had to personally go up front to invite people over.
“Later I ended up going backstage, asking a photographer friend of mine – Paul from All Is Amazing – whether I could set up in [his] office, and just grab some of the performing artistes ... I managed to shoot the English indie rock band Alt-J, which was super exciting.”
Why is photography so important to you and, by extension, to all of us?
“Photography is so important because it helps to change the world, it helps other people to see what’s happening on the other side of the world, it helps people change their perspective of different communities and cultures.
“It captures the moment in time which we hold dear to us forever so we don’t forget about it, so it is very personal, educational and allows for creativity to blossom into the industry.”