DARK CITIES Trilogy - now in 2nd Edition, the inaugural winner of the FIRST DRAFT Award by THEBOOKSHOW, is a series of three books of photographs re-imagining fringe spaces in the metropoles of Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul. CARPARK, first in the series, investigates the nocturnal meanderings of a dark multi-storey carpark in Singapore. CAPSULE, the second book, revisits a futuristic tower in Ginza built in the 1970s, through the imagined eyes and mind of its architect. The third book EULJIRO is a lost and found diary of a fading iconic Seoul district, once a symbol of the country’s modernization.

Co-published by Invisible Photographer Asia (IPA), DARK CITIES is the debut publication of Singapore-based architect and photographer Shyue Woon.

Book Awards

[Sep 2018]  Finalist, Encontros de Imagem Open Call, Portugal 
[Aug 2018]  Finalist, Singapore International Photography Festival Photobook Open call
[June 2018] Finalist. IPA Award for Photobook 2018
[Mar 2017]  FirstDraft Award. Objectifs, Singapore 

Exhibition & Bookfairs


[Oct 2018] SIPF Photobook Backyard (book fair)
[Oct 2018] SIPF Photobook Opencall
[Sep 2018] Unseen Amsterdam  (book fair)
[Aug 2018]  Penang Obscura Photography Festival
[June 2018] Singapore Art Book Fair
[June 2018] Shanghai Art Book Fair
[May 2018] Basel Art Book Fair
[May 2018] New Margin @DECK
[Nov 2017] Dali Photography Exhibition  (book fair)
[Oct 2017] Tokyo Art Book Fair
[Mar 2017] First Draft, Objectifs


Loring Knoblauch, Founder and Publisher of COLLECTOR DAILY

Woon’s pictures follow pathways other photographers have traveled before, particularly those in search of a contemporary version of cinematic and atmospheric noir or the roughness of the typical urban underbelly. But what separates Woon from that pack is his entry point of architectural thinking, and the way that vantage point manifests itself in his works. He’s interpreting and reimagining space rather than the more straightforward scene setting many have done, and his results draw the personality of the space out from within rather than applying it from on high. This mode unexpectedly takes him back to the traditional genre of architectural photography – he’s searching for ways to capture the authentic personality of a building or space, he’s just done it with much more flair and improvisation than we usually encounter. https://collectordaily.com/shyue-woon-dark-cities/

Ang Song Nian, Artist and founder of THEBOOKSHOW.

“Shyue Woon's DARK CITIES emerged as the winning work amongst many others in the First Draft award organized by THEBOOKSHOW. This trilogy is a collection of fictional documentaries that reinvigorates our perception of the photo book through the author's fear, ambition and faith encapsulated in an intimate and personal encounter. “ 


Book Excerpts

"The Carpark, a photographic novel of a space beyond place. Woon is the city’s refugee; where every inch of land is demarcated and set for a purpose, he is navigating its margins. The world he has created unfolds in darkness, yet gleams with colours made manifold by man." 

The Carpark essay by Charmaine Poh, Artist, and documentarian. 

 "It seems that we are exploring the Tower’s ‘consciousness’ as turning pages. We learn about the days of the Tower. However, what we see are not objective facts; It is just an imagination based on our own experiences. By exercising our imagination, we can see even the dream capsuled in the Tower." 

Capsule Tower’s Dream essay by Kenji Takazawa, Photo Critic.

"Seoul was a delirium. There were no clear borders to its mass; walking through it was like walking through a constant flux. A rabbit hole that rippled outward across its uneven topography and wormed down into untold concealed basements and alleys. Very quickly, it became clear to me: Seoul is a place for the restless." 

Un-placed essay by Rachel Ng, Art Writer and Cultural Analyst. 

All Rights Reserved. No part of this can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Using Format