Oniatta Effendi
Actress/Educator/Designer
Only Oni . . . Oniatta Effendi, the educator, drama practitioner, and founder of batik label Baju by Oniatta. We first met at The Substation in the 1990s; she was performing a Malay version of Ng Xin Yue’s play, My Mother’s Wooden Chest (1999). And through our various changes, she has come to the studio for portraits, wedding photos, family photos, and publicity photos. Thank you for coming to the studio one more time for this conversational project.
I have had Heng document many important moments in my life. Each time, his hands and eyes capture not just an image but a strong narrative. I love how Heng’s pictures always tell a story. That story helps us hold on to every precious memory and emotion in that moment. And that is why I keep going back to Heng. He does magic with his camera—and I am so honoured and privileged to share this friendship with him.