Growing up in a factory, the sharp calls of the siren punctuated my days, marking the rhythm of workers clocking in and out. This mechanical cadence shaped my childhood, entwined with the daily routines of my grandfather, Mohan Singh s/o Karam Singh. By day, he worked for the Public Works Department (PWD); by night, he stood sentinel as a watchman, embodying resilience and dignity in labor. Central to his life was the charpoy (rope bed), a staple of Sikh night watchmen. I vividly recall him setting up and dismantling his mosquito-netted sleeping quarters by the factory entrance—a ritual that became part of my own daily rhythm.

Jaga Life reflects this personal history while evoking the collective memory of Chan Sow Lin, once a thriving Punjabi enclave. Charpoys, once symbols of labor, rest, and resilience, dotted the neighborhood, testifying to its industrious spirit. Today, as redevelopment reshapes the area, these symbols—and the way of life they represent—are fading into obscurity. This work weaves together the factory siren, the time recorder, and the enduring image of the charpoy as a meditation on time, place, and labor. It stands as a tribute to my grandfather, his community, and a vanishing world.