Wikipedia

Ian Poh Jin Tze

Ian Poh Jin Tze is a Singaporean writer, photographer, and author known for his work in travel, food, and wildlife photography. His work has appeared in publications including SilverKris and Eater.[1] He is the author of Behind The Scenes: Lives of These Unsung Heroes (2023) and The Silent Song of the African Savannah (2025), which was a finalist for the 2025 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.[2][3]

Early life and career

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Poh began his career as a freelance writer and photographer contributing to travel, food, and lifestyle publications in Southeast Asia. His work has appeared in SilverKris,[4] Eater,[5] The Smart Local,[6] Asian Food Network, and Le Cordon Bleu.[7]

In 2023, Poh published his first coffee table book, Behind The Scenes: Lives of These Unsung Heroes, documents the lives of workers in the agricultural and hospitality sectors across Southeast Asia.[8][9] It is structured around five immersive journeys: to durian harvesters in Raub, Malaysia, melon growers hand-pollinating vines at dawn, coffee farmers in Bali, explorers searching for ancient springs in Perak, and workers at a luxury retreat in Malaysia.[10][11] Wandering Educators described the book as "a pure delight". It was featured in The Straits Times, Expat Living Singapore, and the Milan Journal.[12] BlueInk Review described the book as a collection of travel-based stories focused on the lives and experiences of often-overlooked individuals.[13]

Ian was selected for BBA One Shot Award in 2024, an international single-image photography competition held at BBA Gallery, Berlin.[14]

Ian's second coffee table book, The Silent Song of the African Savannah (2024), is a photographic journey across the game parks of Africa, presented predominantly in colour across five chapters, with one chapter dedicated to monochrome photography.[15] The work is structured as a visual story in five parts moving through the African savanna depicting predation, interspecies relationships, maternal behaviour, and landscape.[15] The book received a five-star Clarion rating from Foreword Reviews, describing it as "a stunning coffee-table book that captures a variety of life in a singular place."[2] The book was shortlisted for the 2025 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in the photography category.[16] It was also featured in Psychology Today , where it was described as "a heartfelt invitation to connect emotionally with wildness."[17]

Both books are distributed through branches of the National Library Board of Singapore and are displayed at the Singapore Photography Museum.[18][19]

In 2026, his work was exhibited as part of the Cizucu photo poster project at Selegie Arts Centre[20] and his photographic work is represented on Saatchi Art.[21]

Selected publications

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  • Behind The Scenes: Lives of These Unsung Heroes (2023), ISBN 978-981-18-8829-8
  • The Silent Song of the African Savannah (2024), ISBN 978-981-941819-0

References

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  1. ↑ "SilverKris | Your Singapore Airlines Travel Guide". SilverKris. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  2. 1 2 "Review of The Silent Song of the African Savannah". www.forewordreviews.com. 2026-05-07. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  3. ↑ "Freelance photographer Ian Poh Jin Tze invites readers into his world of travel and agriculture". The Straits Times. 2024-04-20. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  4. ↑ Tze, Ian Poh Jin (2022-01-04). "A tale of adventure, curiosity and the hunt for a perfect durian in Malaysia's forest". SilverKris. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  5. ↑ Tze, Ian Poh Jin (2022-01-18). "The 38 Essential Kuala Lumpur Restaurants". Eater. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  6. ↑ Poh, Ian (2022-02-15). "Melon Farming In Malaysia: What Farmers Do In A Typical Day". TheSmartLocal Malaysia - Travel, Lifestyle, Culture & Language Guide. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  7. ↑ "A Moment On The Lips, A Lifetime On The Hips". www.cordonbleu.edu. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  8. ↑ Lim, Charmaine (2024-04-21). "Freelance photographer invites you into his world of travel and agriculture". The Sunday Times. Singapore. p. C5.
  9. ↑ "Ian Poh Jin Tze: A Journey Through the Lens and Words – COSMOPOLITAN". cosmopolitanuae.com. Archived from the original on 2025-07-10. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  10. ↑ "Read This! Behind The Scenes: Lives of These Unsung Heroes | Wandering Educators". www.wanderingeducators.com. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  11. ↑ "Dodging the "King of Fruits": Inside the Dangerous Durian Plantations of Raub, Malaysia". Matador Network. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  12. ↑ Chow, Patricea (2024-09-12). "A new coffee table book – Behind the Scenes!". Moving To Singapore? Essential Guide - Expat Living in Singapore. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  13. ↑ "Behind The Scenes: Lives of These Unsung Heroes". BlueInk Review. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  14. ↑ "One Shot Award - Summer 2024". bba-prizes.com. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  15. 1 2 Chow, Patricea (2025-03-14). "Close up with the beasts of the African Savannah". Moving To Singapore? Essential Guide - Expat Living in Singapore. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  16. ↑ "Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards | Finalist | 2025 | Awards and Honors | LibraryThing". LibraryThing.com. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  17. ↑ "A Heartfelt Invitation to Connect Emotionally with Wildness | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  18. ↑ https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?id=efeb8dfa-7157-54e6-af96-e29a30f4737d&entityType=FormatGroup
  19. ↑ https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search?query=9789819418190
  20. ↑ "Sat, Jan 24, 2026 | Singapore | Singapore | photo poster project". cizucu. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  21. ↑ "Ian Poh Jin Tze". Saatchi Art. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
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