Performing arts lecturer and nude art model Harris Jahim tells I-S what it takes to strike a pose.

How long have you been a nude model?
Two years. Someone asked me to do it and I was intrigued by the suggestion.

Are there many Singaporean nude models?
There are several. I don’t know all of them so can’t tell you how many there are exactly.

How beautiful does your body have to be?
You don’t have to have a beautiful body. I’ve met models of various shapes and sizes.

What do you think is your best asset?
My legs. They’re proportionate and have muscles in the right places.

Do you do anything special to prepare for a sitting?
No, but I refrain from drinking a lot of water because if I excuse myself from a pose, recreating it will be difficult.

Do you use props to assist your poses?
The artists provide the props. I’ve used a bamboo stick while stationary or in movement. Props help accentuate certain muscles.

What is the strangest position you’ve had to hold?
The “plough” pose. It’s a yoga pose. The legs go over the head and touch the floor. It is not only strange but also difficult and uncomfortable in the nude!

What is the one pose you’d love to try but haven’t had the chance to execute?
I’d like to pose with another model, male or female, skin to skin. When you have two bodies together, the silhouettes and energy are different.

Have you ever fallen asleep?
Once, I dozed off for a split second while doing the “Buddha” pose.

Does the air-conditioning in a room affect you...in any particular way?
Yes, it does. There’s shrinkage in places I can’t mention.

Have artists reacted to your body verbally?
They have told me I have an athletic body and have asked what I do to maintain it.

Who does more nude modeling—women or men?
All the studios alternate so I don’t know.

Have you been drawn in abstract form? What colors were used?
Yes, Chinese ink was poured on paper and the paper maneuvered to create shadows. It was very interesting.

Do artists recognize you on the streets with your clothes on?
Yes, they do. It’s me who often cannot recognize them!

Have you posed for anyone else, besides artists?
Yes, for a photographer. I had to hold far more difficult poses like hanging onto a doorframe!

Why do you do it?
I do it for the sake of art and to meet people whom I would not normally meet.

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