Bio Ng Swan Ti
Swan Ti is a Jakarta-based freelance photographer who discovered the art as a way to give more meaning to travelling, something she always feels passionate about. For her, photography gives a reason to knock on closed doors and be part of what is happening inside.
Her pictures have appeared in many national and international publications, such as Tempo, a weekly Indonesian magazine, Koran Tempo daily, GEO France, Geolino, Marie Claire and LeMonde2 magazine. Other clients include NGOs, such as Oxfam Great Britain as well as Oxfam International. Swan Ti has also taken part in exhibitions in Asia and Europe, including the "Another Asia" Noorderlicht International Photofestival in the Netherlands in 2006.
Swan Ti started her career in 2002 after working at a food company for a decade. To develop her professional competency, she took part in a photography workshop for Southeast Asian photographers held by the World Press Photo Foundation in Jakarta in 2002 and was selected to join the workshop for Asia and European photographers in Amsterdam in 2003. She was a nominee of the Joop Swart Masterclass, one of the world’s most prestigious photography events, in 2003.
Aside from taking pictures, Swan Ti is eager to share the passion and experiences that she has gained thus far with the younger generations. Save the Children UK assigned her to work as the main facilitator of a photography workshop for youth in Aceh province from November 2006 to July 2007. In this project, she joined a training of trainers (TOT) for activities with children given by the David Glass Ensemble from England.
Along with Edy Purnomo and other friends, Swan Ti established the Malang Meeting Point (mamipo), an alternative space for young people from different backgrounds to interact with and have dialogs through art and culture activities especially photography in Malang, East Java in October 2008. She wishes to continue with both sides of photography: taking in the world and sharing it through her eyes.