Biography

My name is Baey Shi Chen (韦诗倩) and I am a Lecturer at the Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore. I specialise in Cultural Studies, Visual Culture, as well as Media and Communications.

I hold a PhD in Cultural Studies in Asia, a joint degree from the National University of Singapore and King’s College London.

I study fashion as a form of cultural politics, examining how representation, cultural governance, and creative labour shape cultural production in Singapore and Southeast Asia. My research focuses on how institutions, social values, and visual regimes influence the organisation of creative industries, with particular attention to sustainability, labour, identity, and urban change. I situate these questions within wider debates on cultural policy, creative economies, literary studies, and popular culture, examining how cultural production is shaped by—and in turn contributes to—social, political, and urban transformations.

Trained in English Literature, I hold a Bachelor’s degree in English, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the National Institute of Education, and a Master’s degree in Literary Studies from the National University of Singapore.

Before transitioning to academia, I taught at pre-tertiary and tertiary levels and worked in fashion journalism, contributing to Singaporean publications in both full-time and freelance capacities. These experiences continue to inform my research, teaching, and engagement with cultural and creative communities.

Read my Fashion & Market (F&M)The Dossier profile here.