Hong Kong Photographers Six – Chun Wai by Liu Wai-tong

Though his work is often compared to that of Salgado, Chun Wai’s images are in truth far more realistic in nature than his predecessor’s. His images’ unique matter-offactness has the unique delaying effect on the emotional response of their viewers. Rather than triggering passion, Chun’s photographs compel one into contemplation

The collection of Chun Wai’s works in this book is an attempt to ‘interpret the lives of local people today using a broad historical framework’. Indeed, his images are remarkably full expressions of the organic details of life: strangely saintly-looking Indians strolling down a road; a solitary Afghan weightlifter; boats stranded on parched periphery of the Aral Sea; an angelic girl amidst gravestones in Manila; scenes of disjointed, dreamlike reality from the urban landscape of Hong Kong. Throughout, Chun’s camera lens reconciles the extreme possibilities of interpretation, preserving the ambiguity of images, and striking a balance between strength and beauty.