【COVER STORY】Alyssa Chia

Caesura to me means time for reflection 
It’s unprecedented times
One that we could have never imagined
Where everything is put on pause...

What was it like working with photographer Joshua Lin?
I had an amazing time working with Joshua. We’ve been friends for a very long time, but for some reason we haven’t had the opportunity to work together in the past few years. He invited me to shoot the cover, and I immediately said yes, because I trust him a lot. During the shoot, it’s always fast and precise. I had a great time.
 
If you had a remote control and could press “pause” to stop life in a particular point in time, where would you pause?
I would press pause right now; I’m very happy at this stage in my life. There’s stability, and everything happening right now is comfortable and balanced.

What does “Caesura” mean to you? It could be something unfinished, paused, or put on hold?
Because the world around us seems to be on hold right now, we now have the time and space to really look within ourselves, and to re-start a dialogue with our inner voices. There’s a lot of fear and apprehension right now, but there’s also a lot of positivity. The pause button has allowed time for reflection.

The mood for the shoot is very simple this time around because we hope to put the focus on you. How do you get in to character for a shoot? Does the body play an important role in expressing emotion?
I really like the white outfit I’m wearing because white to me is the purest and cleanest color of all. To me, ofcourse the body portrays emotion. When you are anxious or when you are relaxed, it is reflected in your body. Your body in this sense cannot lie. I’m an actress so I’m able to get into character pretty quickly and the photographer also gave me a lot of direction. Once you put on the right makeup and wardrobe, it’s pretty easy to be sculpted into a certain character.

Our life is a combination of all the choices we’ve made. What kind of person do you think you have become from these choices?
I think that me as a person is a combination of those around me and the different stages in my life. It’s an accumulation and reflection of all these things. It’s kind of like a caterpillar; all the nutrients it takes in from eating things around it can help it grow, but it can also cause an upset stomach. However, in the end it can still cocoon and become a butterfly. I believe that throughout the journey in finding yourself, as a person, is the never-ending search for the nutrients that you need.

Who has affected you the most in shaping the values you hold dear?
I think it’s not really a person who has affected me the most, but rather the environment and experiences I’ve faced in my life. Once you go through certain events in your life, you learn to determine which values are important to you. Once you know what these values are, you are then able to live more freely and be true to yourself. 

What are you into or concerned about lately?
Ofcourse I follow the news on a daily basis; my view on the pandemic has gone from anxiety to acceptance, to now a self-defence and protection mode. I try to face it with positivity and hope those around me can do so as well. 
I carry many roles in life; I’m a girl, a woman, a mom, a wife…there’s so many responsibilities that come with each and every one of these roles, so I need to make myself healthier so that I can live up to them. Staying healthy and exercising is something I’m very focused on right now.

How do you rewind when work gets busy?
I find that the best way to relax and rewind is to go exercising with your friends. I try to push myself to do sports I’ve never done  before. I stopped doing yoga a while ago but I recently picked it up again. I want to go mountain climbing and maybe bike riding. At night when I’m really tired I like to take a bath, treat myself to a glass of wine, and just hold my kids and be with them. Time with my family is the best stress-reliever.

Photographer / Joshua Lin
Stylist / Monfi Lin
Stylist assistant / Melody Chan
Hair / Ting@Flux Reel
Hair assistant / Angel
Makeup / Claire Cheng
Videographer/ Film Editor / Tonnie Tseng

ISSUE 36

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