This panel discussion brings together a diverse group of collectors - David Wee (Singapore memorabilia), Jian Yang (Barbie dolls), John Koh (Historical books, photographs and ephemera) - who focus on everyday or overlooked objects, and considers how collecting can reframe the mundane as something culturally or personally significant. In this conversation moderated by Talking Objects curator, Ong Puay Khim, collectors reflect on their own interests: how objects are selected, preserved and shared, and how meaning and value emerges through these processes. Rather than treating collecting as accumulation or investment, the discussion approaches it as a way of telling stories - what is kept, how it is remembered, and why it matters.

This programme is presented in conjunction with the exhibition, Talking Objects. Talking Objects is presented in parallel with The Living Room in the Collection Gallery. Together, the two exhibitions invite reflection on how art is experienced, interpreted, and carried through time and space.

About the Speakers
David Wee | Collector of Singapore memorabilia
Mr David Wee is the founder of Wee’s Collection, a company specializing in heritage related events setup & management.

As a collector of Singapore memorabilia for 30 years, the opportunity to set up Wee’s Collection came about when Mr Wee was approached by a Community Club in 2012 to showcase his collection for their “Heritage Nite”. From then, he has gone on to build many different dioramas, depicting scenes of old Singapore. Mr Wee's passion has always been to bring heritage and memories to his clients, as he strongly believes that “Every item has a story behind it”.

Inspired by many private museums that he has visited while travelling, Mr Wee was motivated to set up something similar in Singapore. His museum took 3 years to develop and was completed in October 2020. Today, it serves as a location for both educational and heritage development.

Jian Yang | Collector of Barbie dolls
Mr Jian Yang is a Singapore-based Barbie doll collector, toy photographer, and creative storyteller whose fascination with Barbie began in 1984. Over the decades, he has built a remarkable collection of more than 13,000 dolls, making him one of the world’s largest Barbie doll collectors.

Driven by a passion for play, creativity, and storytelling, he has transformed his love of dolls into a distinctive artistic practice. He is the creator of #flushablefashion, a project featuring couture designs crafted entirely from toilet paper and modelled by his dolls. His work has also taken him around the world, where he photographs dolls in iconic locations, bringing imaginative stories to life through his lens. Through his collection, he creates charity activations that give back to causes that matter, and lends his voice to conversations around bullying and finding oneself.

He is the Managing Partner and Head of Strategy at Distilleri Group.

John Koh | Collector of historical books, photographs and ephemera
Mr John Koh is a noted book collector with a personal collection of more than 25,000 old books, together with countless photographs and ephemera. He is also the owner of Bernard Quaritch, London’s oldest antiquarian bookseller.

As a keen supporter of Singapore’s history and heritage, Mr Koh has donated more than 500 items to the National Library Board (NLB). These include a rare 1858 issue of Bintang-Timor, an English-language newspaper published in Singapore; an annotated, translated proof of the 1868 first English edition of Max Havelaar (by Eduard Douwes Dekker); and extensive holdings of Chinese comics published in Hong Kong between the 1940s and 1960s that were widely circulated in Singapore and Malaya.

Mr Koh is retired, having worked as a civil servant, lawyer and banker.