When it comes to iconic views of Hong Kong, in addition to the dazzling Victoria Harbour night view, the neon lights commonly seen in the Kowloon area are also a truly authentic sight. With the changes in urban development, neon lights on the streets are becoming fewer and fewer. Some choose to erase the traces of these lights from their memories, but others choose to capture these scenes with a camera.
Recently, shout! Art Hub & Gallery held the first solo photography exhibition “Nostalgic Times” for local photographer Justin Wong. The photographer turned neon lights into a time machine of Hong Kong’s colorful memories, leading the audience back to that brilliant “Nostalgic Time” through each cinematic photo.
Justin was born in Hong Kong, then went to Canada to study, and began documenting his overseas learning journey through photography at that time. After returning to Hong Kong, he has been capturing unique moments in daily life through his lens, transforming still photos into cinematic scenes, forming his own creative style.
However, when he returned, he found that the ever-changing Hong Kong was no longer the same as he remembered from his childhood. Especially the neon lights that often appeared in street art culture were no longer the same as before. So, he used a camera to record the “nostalgic time” that would disappear at any moment – neon lights.
“Nostalgic Times” is his series of photographic works, presented through a combination of digital and film images, connecting moments to scenes reminiscent of vintage films. The photographer highlights cultural self-identity, expressing the deepest meaning behind each piece, creating unique visual stories.
This photography exhibition deeply reflects on and explores how to keep Hong Kong’s local traditional crafts evolving, as well as how to give old crafts a new meaning and life through other artistic means. Neon lights are an extremely important part of Hong Kong’s local culture and visual language, even though they are gradually being phased out. Through moments captured by the camera, these memories can be frozen in time and continue to be preserved in another art form.
Feel free to visit the exhibition and enjoy the neon lights and shadows captured by the photographer’s lens!
“Nostalgic Times” Photography Exhibition by Justin Wong
Date: From now until February 18
Time: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Location: SHOUT Art Hub & Gallery (Sha Tin) Shop L2 250A, 1/F, New Town Plaza Phase 1, Sha Tin, New Territories
Learn more and image source: SHOUT Art Hub & Gallery
