Foreword
The photographs in this volume are recent works by Mr. Sun-chang Lo, taken during the past two years. They are mostly the fruits of his vigorous and extensive strolls along side lanes and back alleys in Hong Kong. With just a handy 35 mm camera – without elaborate equipment or other photographic gadgets – Mr. Lo captures a candid Hong Kong. The Hong Kong depicted in these photographs are devoid of concrete skyscrapers and glass towers. Banks and shops, airports and wharves, cultural complexes and exhibition centres are conspicuously absent here. Nor would one find the familiar beautiful harbour with glistening lights, or the well-groomed parks with birds and flowers.
The Hong Kong Mr. Lo painted is his Hong Kong: the space, the time, and the multifarious things that he encounters in his daily life. Whatever comes in his path, be it the texture of weathered planks or torn posters, the colors of cracked lacquer or rusted iron, or the close-ups of soiled brooms or stained canvases, he sees beauty in these objects of the household. He is fascinated by the worn yet saturated colours, the random yet calligraphic lines and the composition or decomposition of forms. These are his preoccupations and subjects of his photography. The images reflect his keen observation, his inner thought, and his unique point of view. They reveal an emotional interaction with the reality, as well as a quest for truth, beauty, and perfection.
While looking at these rich and colourful works, one wonders what sort of person the artist is who harbours such strong feelings for stark simplicity, the naked beauty and the natural form. Is he a Taoist who prefers roaming around and enjoying the harmony of nature to the climbing of the social ladder? Is he a pilgrim who seeks truth and beauty rather than wealth and fame? Is he an explorer who advances the spiritual frontier instead of physical heights? Indeed, for those who do know him well, Mr. Lo's photographs offer not only clues to these questions but are themselves expressions of his person – his intellect, conviction, philosophy and personality.
Dr. Michael Wai-mai
Lau
Executive Director
The University Museum and Art Gallery
The University of Hong Kong