Akar - Issue 1

Issue 1: Foundations
Origin: Singapore
Format: 17 x 24 cm, 125 pages

In Vol 01: Foundations, we begin AKAR’s journey of exploration at home.
Foundations features musings on faith, nature and tradition through photography, essays, visual art and poetry by fellow Singaporeans. This issue also includes interviews with:  Singapore’s principal storyteller Kamini Ramachandran;
veteran angklung music instructor Faridah Jamal; and plant medicine expert Ajuntha Anwari.

AKAR is an independent print publication which features everyday stories and histories of Southeast Asia. Founded in 2018, AKAR was born out of the desire to learn more about ourselves, and the need to amplify voices that represent diverse lived experiences.
AKAR is the Malay word for roots. Like roots, AKAR aims to navigate through the noise and go beneath the surface of what we see and hear to rediscover what really matters to us. We are endlessly curious about local cultures; evolving traditions; the human relationship with one another, the environment, the transcendent; and the beauty of connections that we sometimes overlook or fail to recognise.
At the same time, AKAR strives to bring the rich tapestry of Southeast Asia to the world. By doing so, we wish to broaden our own horizons while inspiring the imagination of others. We want to share works that inspire and remind us of where we come from and where we want to go.
We wish for AKAR to grow into a community of individuals who find solace in passion, a rootedness to history and the elements that ground us as humanity. 

Explore Akar.