Colour negatives, positive attitudes - a study in life
You would be forgiven for thinking the faces of impoverished Thai schoolchildren in a photographic exhibition in two of Hong Kong's MTR stations recently had a desperation about them.
But you'd be wrong. That would be to see them through the eyes of a Hong Konger 'obsessed with achievement and success', according to City University photographic student Tang Chi-kin.
Ms Tang, 35, - better known as CK - who is studying for a BA in creative media, says she exhibited the pictures of ethnic Chinese pupils living in rural poverty near Chiang Rai in northern Thailand 'partly to remind Hong Kong people there is more to life than rushing around making money'.
She went to Thailand last year with aid workers from Hong Kong's Chu Kuang Cultural Services Centre who run a project called 'Bring Charcoal to Northern Thai, Sending Love and Care Afar'.
Her exhibition of 48 photographs 'N.Thai Children Through the Lens' was recently shown at the Cultural Centre and Central and Tsing Yi MTR stations.
CK, who used to work with Cable News and RTHK, said she decided to quit the rat race and go to university because she 'had no life'. 'I was working more than ten hours a day and had no time for myself or my family. It was just work, work, work. I had to stop and think again,' she said.
CK said that her message to a Hong Kong 'obsessed with rushing around, success and money' was that there is more to life than material achievement.
'We visited around 20 schools and villages where the living conditions are very poor. But you know, I was very surprised to find the people were really happy despite having nothing. I wanted to capture that positive attitude to life.'
She said she was intrigued at the way people reacted to her pictures in the MTR stations.
'I made a video of people dashing through the station, rushing past my pictures, and heard parents telling their children how lucky they were to be living in Hong Kong.' They had misunderstood her message.
'I've realised that Hong Kong people just don't know how to live,' she said. 'I prefer a simple life. I think I'm very lucky. I am flat-sitting and have no apartment of my own and I don't need to earn money.'
The exhibition can be seen in the podium area on the fourth floor of CityU, Kowloon Tong, from November 22.
