From issue: #13 The Graduate Issue 2021
So close and yet so far away
A meditation on the relationship between memory and identity, Wing Ka Ho’s So close and yet so far away is a series of conversations among Hong Kongese people about the history and future of their city. The project consists of two chapters. The first, ‘So close and yet’, is about the border and politics left over from Sino-British history. The images, which appear peaceful on the surface, conceal the complex political tensions hidden in Hong Kongese society. The second chapter, ‘So far away’, investigates the societal changes that have taken place in Hong Kong’s history by exploring notions of selfhood and memories that new Hong Kongese immigrants to the UK bring with them. By capturing the unique characteristics of both environment and inhabitant, the artist uses nature’s growth and migration as metaphors to document the fluidity of identity.
Wing Ka Ho (born 1993) is a photographer based in Hong Kong and the UK. In his work, he documents historical landscapes and makes portraits in the community to investigate political issues and social changes. In 2021, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Art with an MA in photography.
Photography+ is supported by MPB.
