Zakaria Zainal makes meaning of the world through his photographs. Enticed by the visceral changes of a former monarchy’s transition to a federal republic in Nepal, he first picked up his camera. His first monograph, Our Gurkhas: Singapore Through Their Eyes is an anthology of portraits and anecdotes of the retired Singapore Gurkhas as they reminisce about life in the Lion City, from the 1950s till today. Subsequently, he co-wrote The Invisible Force: Singapore Gurkhas – a continuation of his fascination for the Singapore Gurkha diaspora. His photographs and text interrogate space and memory vis-a-vis visual projects which include: the 2013 Little India riot; living histories of forgotten Singapore islanders; the aura of religion within the Covid-19 pandemic; and the declining Malay-Muslim mutual benefit organisations. His visual projects are collected by the National Museum of Singapore and exhibited internationally. He graduated from Hyper Island and NTU’s School of Communication.