Old building syndrome - think burst water pipes and crumbling walls - is pushing Agnes b's Librairie Galerie out of its Elgin Street spot. It's a shame, after 18 months we were just getting used to having the gallery in the SoHo neighbourhood. Gallery manager Angela Cheng says they have not found a new space for the gallery yet, but they are hoping to keep it in SoHo.
In the meantime, make sure you stop by the gallery to check out their current exhibition by Japanese photographer Hanayo. Hanayo has turned her hand to many things, and her photographs reflect the depth of her experiences. In 1989 she trained as a junior geisha and within two years she had published a best-selling book about her geisha life. From there she went to work as a musician, stage actress, model and writer.
The theme of her exhibition is young girls and her daughter (left) features in some of the shots. An installation in the downstairs gallery made of what looks like a battered chicken coop houses a slide projector. The slide show runs on a continuous loop with esoteric tunes playing in the background.
The photographs - taken in Hong Kong, France and Shanghai - are deliberately slightly blurred and the style is both intimate and nostalgic.
The exhibition is timed to coincide with the release last week, in Tokyo, of a book of Hanayo's photographs. Hanayo took the photographs, some of which are on display at the Elgin Street gallery, over the past decade. Many of them trace the development of her daughter from her birth, in 1996, to today. The book will be available in Hong Kong in early April.
Hanayo's exhibition is on at Agnes b's Librairie Galerie, 22 Elgin Street, until April 20. (Opening Hours noon-8.30pm, closed Mondays)