My 2010 exhibits at LTS

I call these photos transient, using an adjective because the noun transience sounds too permanent.

Sadness is but a moment, so is the most impenetrable darkness before dawn, or the exposed brick wall before it’s whitewashed again. Or the crystal blue sky above Tao Fong Shan before the start of the 7 am Friday Morning Eucharist, or the seconds before the traffic light turns green while one is wearily standing by the zebra-crossing, head lowered and one’s world is reduced to the ground just under the feet. But there are moments of surprises that allow you to transcend the dull and drab life no matter how short-lived they are, like the red plastic bag that suddenly materializes into the corner of my eye, the colour reminding me life can be vibrant and fun if I allow myself to let go of the melancholy and let bits of colours, lights, and even shadows seep into my heart.

All these photos are somehow related to TFS. The first one was taken after a long day at LTS and much walking. I was so tired that I felt my legs were like two big blocks of ice, melting, when suddenly something red came to my eye. It was an ordinary red plastic bag, the kind you could find in any wet markets. After that moment of a red entry, my grey life became colourful again.

The second photo shows the wall at the Moon Gate at TFS. For a few days, the wall stood exposed, showing the red bricks underneath. I had never suspected that under that blinding white lay such raw beauty.

The third and fourth photos are related to our 7 am Friday Morning Eucharist. The one with a big cross was taken with a cell phone when I was traveling on the first bus going from Tuen Mun to Shatin. It must be around 5:30 am, the world was still fast asleep, and yet this cross still stood and watched over that area where my primary school used to stand. That cross had been part of my life for 6 years and yet never did I know there’s a church there. It used to house many bird nests, but all are gone now, leaving a bitter sweet nostalgia.

The last photo was taken before the start of the Friday Morning Eucharist. That’s my best moment in a week. I could still smell the chill of the night, and yet the sky was gradually lighting up. That blue sky reminded me of one of my happiest moments in life. I wanted to hold on to that, but all things beautiful usually have a life span too short, we could never have enough of them.