YU YAT-YIU has spent his career as a songwriter surrounded by Hong Kong's creative types and - as friends tend to do - taking lots of photographs. Yu is the first to admit that he's only an amateur photographer, but there was something about his snaps that caught the eyes of those in his circle. 'Over the past few years, more and more friends who have seen my photographs have been encouraging me to do something with them,' he says. 'This encouragement from my peers made me think far more seriously about it.' The result is an exhibition, The Good, the Bad & the Ugly in the Eyes of Yu Yat-yiu, that runs until December 5 at the Agnes b. store in the IFC Mall. It's essentially a series of picture books, each containing a sequence of photographs relating to one member of the People Mountain People Sea (PMPS) collective. PMPS is a 10-strong group of local independent artists involved in all manner of creative endeavours, including operating its own music label. Formed in 1999 by singer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming (one half of local 1980s hit duo Tat Ming Pair), the group is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Wong is undoubtedly the highest-profile member of PMPS, which also signed teen pop sensations At 17, as well as electronic duo Pixel Toy. 'It's home to a group of people who are good friends and have a similar outlook on life in general,' Yu says. 'It's like an extended family - we have all known each other for a very long time.' Yu is a full-time composer, providing music for films, videos, stage performances and Canto-pop singers. Apart from working in Hong Kong, he has made a name for himself in Taipei, Tokyo, Brussels and London. As part of the PMPS fifth anniversary celebrations, Yu's exhibition is complemented by the release of a 16-track compilation album, The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - The Future Sound of Tung Lo Wan, which features collaborations between PMPS artists. 'I have been taking photos as a hobby for many years now,' Yu says. 'But it was not until the arrival of the digital camera that I really got interested in it. Not requiring processing and being able to instantly view, edit and delete pictures is something I really like. It helps me a lot during trips and concerts. 'I want my photos to reflect my feelings and record the things I've experienced. This exhibition is an expansion and continuation of that by wanting to share these images with those coming to the exhibition.' Collated over the past eight years, the photos were snapped more as a hobby than out of any professional aspirations, he says. Locally, Yu has collaborated with directors including Stanley Kwan Kam-pang, Yip Kwan-hung and James Yuen Sai-sang. His work with pop singers Miriam Yeung Chin-wah and the late Anita Mui Yim-fong has brought him into the mainstream. The number of celebrities who came out in force on the opening night of the exhibition is a testament to his reputation. Compiling the individual collections of pictures involved scrutiny of all of Yu's photographs over the years. 'I assigned the photos through my personal feelings,' says Yu. 'I looked at what these people meant to me as a person and as a friend - although as the project developed, I found that the pictures were more a reflection of how I viewed them as performers and artists. 'It was a very conscious effort to combine each subject's pictures into a specific group. The photos are arranged in sequences to allow a logical and easy journey for onlookers. 'Some of the collections are very direct and literal, for example At 17's. On the other hand, some like Anthony Wong's are far more subtle - more an exploration of the way their performances make me feel,' Yu says. With such a personal exhibition on personal subjects, does the songwriter feel this is something of real interest to the general public? 'We are an independent label, where I'd say there seems to be some distance between the audience and ourselves. The purpose of this exhibition is to break that divide. I want them to be able to see different aspects of PMPS and the people involved,' he says. 'What I'd like to achieve is for more people to have a better understanding about each of us.' Of the 10 compilations, Yu is most proud of the series that focus on Wong and another local songwriter, Jason Choi. 'They are the most complete collections,' says Yu. 'Those pictures were harder to take. There are no people in the frames, so I had to capture the right moments, with the right lighting and settings.' Yu will remain first and foremost a composer, but the love of photography still burns bright inside him. 'Photography for me is still just a hobby,' he says. 'No one knows what will happen next though. I'll continue to take photographs and see what chances come with that.' The Good, the Bad & the Ugly in the Eyes of Yu Yat-yiu, until Dec 5, Agnes b., shop 1098, IFC Mall, Central, free. For details go to www.peoplemountainpeoplesea.com .
