When the sun shines at our blind spot (Admiralty), 2019, Archival Hahnemühle Photo Paper, 30 x 20in, 1 of 5 Edition + 2AP
One of the most widely planted species for landscaping the public space of Hong Kong is a plant named Schefflera Arboricola. They are particularly tough to survive under low sunlight conditions, hence often planted under an overpass or a pedestrian bridge.
These often-overlooked life existences are fascinating to me. As an object, they lean to one direction abnormally with their leaves facing the blocked off light source, developing a stem profile that is overly elongated to one side. As a metaphor, they personify pure struggle of livelihoods, being in the city, under the bridge, by the roadside, where the sun - the source of life seems to be out of reach.
The project was started in the summer of 2019 when protests in Hong Kong have escalated to an unprecedented level. The plants were collected from several districts near MTR stations, such as Admiralty, Yuen Long, Prince Edward, etc. They were then lit and photographed in the studio.
Through the motion of producing these photographs, it offered a new way to contemplate the situation of Hong Kong. A way that is not limited to criticism or confrontational action, but of mirroring livelihood and staying hopeful in turbulent times.
