All posts by whit

The Art of Invoking Spirits

February 10, 2017 2017年2月10日

Tewfic El-Sawy’s two-year journey into exploring the world of Đạo Mẫu began serendipitously. Upon hearing religious music wafting from a temple on his visit to Sapa, a town in Northern Vietnam, the photographer discovered this unique religion that’s native to the region.

两年前，Tewfic El-Sawy在拜访越南北部小镇沙巴的时候，偶然听到了一座寺庙中传出的宗教音乐。这开启了他探索道母信仰文化的旅程。那是他第一次接触到越南北部独特的宗教。

Đạo Mẫu refers to the worship of Vietnamese mother goddesses; the worship of Mẫu (the Mother Goddess) is an important part of Vietnam’s folk culture and identity. Although its historical origins are unclear, scholars believe the religion stems from when Vietnamese would worship nature in hopes of favourable weather, bountiful harvests, and protection from invasions by China and Mongolia.

道母教是人们对越南地母神Mâu 的崇拜，而这种崇拜是越南民俗文化的重要组成部分。虽然它的历史起源并不清楚，但学者相信这种宗教信仰源自于越南人祈愿好天气、丰收和免受中国和蒙古的侵略而崇拜的自然信仰。

Hầu dồng is one of the primary rituals of Đạo Mẫu and embodies the worship of mother goddesses in Vietnam. It is technically a ritual of spirit mediumship and literally means “receiving the incarnations of spirits” in Vietnamese. Hầu đồng ceremonies involve mediums who host a diverse array of spirits, which include mythical or historical ancestors and illustrious military heroes. The ceremonies involve exotic costumes, music, dance, singing and even acting; invocation music and songs that are known as hát chầu văn aim to induce the mediums into a trance.

Hầu Đồng 是道母教的主要仪式之一，体现了越南文化中对地母神的崇拜。事实上，它是一种精神灵媒的仪式，正如其越南语字面上的意思——接收精神灵魂的化身。Hầu Đồng 的宗教仪式包括一名寄存着不同精神灵魂的灵媒，这些灵魂包括神话或历史上的祖先和杰出的军事英雄。这些仪式融合了各种奇异服饰和音乐，人们还会唱歌跳舞。这种叫做hát chầu văn的祈祷音乐能帮助灵媒进入催眠状态。

The ceremonies can last anywhere from four to eight hours, taking place in front of the temple’s altar and lead by mediums dressed in white satin. After lighting incenses and chewing on betel leaf wads, mediums close their eyes and sway to the rhythm of the hát chầu văn music. Whilst there are over 70 different spirits in the pantheon of the Mother Goddesses, only 15 are incarnated during the ceremony.

仪式可以持续 10 到 30 分钟，就在寺庙的圣坛前面举行，由穿着白色缎质衣服的灵媒主持。点香、咀嚼槟榔叶后，灵媒会闭上他们的眼睛，身体随chầu văn音乐的节奏摇摆。虽然地母神有超过70位不同的神灵，但其中只有 15 位会出现在仪式上。

Đạo Mẫu practitioners are primarily women, and the religious rituals play an important role in Vietnamese culture. Beyond providing spiritual comfort, the ceremonies are also a social event for communities. After observing these ceremonies, Tewfic found that Đạo Mẫu was not only an approachable belief system for the local Vietnamese, but also a visual spectacle, engaging participants in fashion, theatre, culture, and sound. Lavish costumes and robes are worn by successful mediums with the belief that these aesthetics will bring about divine favour.

道母教是个母系宗教，其宗教仪式在越南文化中有着重要影响。除了提供精神上的安慰，这些宗教仪式也是人们重要的社交活动。观察完这些仪式后, Tewfic 发现道母教除了是当地人可接触到的信仰体系，也是一种视觉奇观，涉及到时装，剧院，声乐和文化等等。有名的灵媒穿上奢华服饰和长袍，因为他们相信这些美丽的外衣将帮助他们获得神灵的偏爱。

“The religion is not concerned with life after death, but with life now,” Tewfic explains. “It is the ‘now’ and not the ‘later’ concept that attracts many Vietnamese to this indigenous religion, as it speaks to their hopes for success, health, material benefits and luck during their lifetime.”

“宗教并非与死后的生活相关，而是与现在的生活相关。正是这种‘现时’非‘死后’的概念吸引了很多越南人加入这种本土宗教，因为它反映出人们在一生中对成功、健康、物质利益和运气的向往。”

As a fitting epilogue to Tewfic’s time in Vietnam and to the delight of many Vietnamese, on December 1st, 2016, UNESCO immortalised Đạo Mẫu by listing the practice on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

从2016年12月1日起，国际教科文组织将道母教列为人类非物质文化遗产，这对越南人们来说无疑是一个大好的消息，也是Tewfic这趟越南之旅的理想结尾。

Website: telsawy.com

 

Contributor: Whitney Ng

网站: telsawy.com

 

供稿人: Whitney Ng

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Ghost Town Ni Naru

February 8, 2017 2017年2月8日

French-Canadian photographer Jasmin Gendron began learning his way around photography from the dark rooms of his local high school. As of 2010, he began to shoot predominantly in digital, whilst occasionally shooting 35mm film for personal projects.

法裔加拿大摄影师Jasmin Gendron开始接触摄影是在家乡高中学校的暗房里。在 2010 年之后，他多数用数码相机拍摄，不过有时在创作个人作品的时候也会用到35毫米胶片相机。

“I try to use street photography to immortalize energy and emotions from magnificent, human and sometimes comical scenes, with a poetic, subtle and unobtrusive approach.” Jasmin describes himself as an autodidact, with the inspiration behind his photography style stemming from Japanese culture. He spent a full year immersing himself into Japan and actively absorbing his new surroundings. “I like how the environment impacts human actions and decision in peoples’ everyday lives.”

“我希望能通过街头摄影，以一种诗意、微妙而不显眼的方式定格壮观、人性甚至是滑稽的场面。”Jasmin形容自己是一名自学者，他的摄影风格受日本文化影响。他在日本生活了整整一年，深入探索和了解这个全新的环境。”周围的环境会如何影响到一个人在生活中的行为和决定，我对这个话题还蛮感兴趣的。“

Jasmin’s photo series Ghost Town Ni Naru was captured over a two-year period in his wife’s hometown of Nikko in Japan’s Tochigi prefecture. Jasmin had been subconsciously observing the city for the past decade, and describes it as his perception of a “grotesque scene,” in the sense that Nikko was slowly becoming a ghost town. This project is an active reminder that no place is unchanging and the sense of loss is acutely expressed throughout each image.

Jasmin的摄影作品系列《Ghost Town Ni Naru》是他在妻子的故乡——栃木县日光市生活的两年期间所捕捉的影像。Jasmin一直下意识地在观察这个城市在过去的十年的发展，研究日光市是如何渐渐变成今日的一座鬼城，而他称这种变化为一种“奇景”。视觉上，这系列作品提醒着人们，没有一个地方是永恒不变的。他的照片中总透露着一种失落的情绪。

Whilst Nikko may be well known for its beautiful traditional shrines and temples, this project seeks to present an aspect of Japanese culture that does not conform to the stereotypical idea of Japan. “This is a sad series. I tried to capture how it must feel for my wife, for her family members and friends, when they take a deeper look at the places where most of their memories come from.”

虽然日光市可能一向以其美丽的古老神社和寺庙而闻名，但这系列作品想展现的是日本文化不为人知的一面，是有别于人们对日本的传统印象的。“这是一个略带感伤的作品，我试着记录我的妻子和她的家人朋友们，在面对这个充满回忆的地方时，心中涌现的感情。”

Website: jasmingendron.com
Instagram: @jasgendron

 

Contributor: Whitney Ng

网站: jasmingendron.com
Instagram: @jasgendron

 

供稿人: Whitney Ng

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How To: Urban Photography

January 24, 2017 2017年1月24日

23-year-old photographer Jimmi Ho moved from Guangzhou to Hong Kong in 2008. In his new adoptive home, he soon discovered a unique vibe, brimming with human energy, bustling streets, and small turns surrounded by new high-rises and old style buildings. “They became my favourite subject to shoot – as more of these places began to present themselves, I began to really love the shooting process,” he says. “In the past few years, I have witnessed the rapid development of Hong Kong. The combination of Chinese and Western culture presents an interesting contrast between traditional and modern architecture. Hong Kong’s unique real estate and bulging population has forced it to evolve at a truly alarming rate.”

自2008年，何颖嘉从广州搬至香港，十几年的生活对他来说，这个城市到处都充满着人情味，大街小巷，高楼大厦、旧式建筑都是我喜爱拍摄的对象，比起拍摄的结果，他更享受拍摄的过程。 “短短的几年我亲眼目睹香港飞速地发展，高楼大厦不断取代旧式建筑，中西文化相结合，也因此造成了这里传统与现代建筑的强烈对比。香港地少人多，特殊的地理位置导致了这个城市不得不在有限的空间中建设和发展。”

Hong Kong’s buildings vary widely – each building differs in historical background, size, shape and structure. The old buildings go through refurbishments over the years to make way for all new multi-functional streets. “I use my lens to bring the density of my surrounds to life, to highlight the various spaces around me,” he explains. “Hong Kong is a crowded city, highly compressed and irregular, which can give off a sense of claustrophobia.” 2016 was an illustrious year for the young photographer who was named a Sony World Photography Awards winner in Hong Kong, as well as runner-up for National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year in the Cities category. More recently, he was also awarded the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year award for the People and Space category.

香港的建筑物千差万别，不管是历史类型、大小或比例都不尽相同，老区的建筑经年累月地修筑和加建后，打造独特多功能的街景，形形色色的风格相互汇集，“我将镜头聚焦于密集都市的元素上，拥挤的城市衍生出独特、高度压缩且不规则的空间，高楼林立的环境中使他们更显突出。” 在2016何颖嘉曾获索尼世界2016摄影比赛香港赛区冠军， 2016 年国家地理旅行者摄影大赛城市组亚军，Insight Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2016 冠军等等。

“For the budding urban photographer, knowing where to begin can be overwhelming,” he says. “It may be difficult at first to hone in on your target as seeing the works of other photographers may bring you a sense of pressure. Or you may have been an experienced shooter for many years, hoping to find a breakthrough on the photographic path.” Below, he shares with us some of the tips that helped him along the way.

“刚开始接触城市摄影的人，一般都不知道该拍什么，总觉得寻找拍摄目标是相当困难的事，看见别人的照片时，内心可能会感到负担且相当辛苦。又或者你是已经拍摄多年的摄影爱好者，希望在剩余的摄影路上寻求突破。” 下面是他跟我们分享的一些促使他进步的秘诀。

1. “Steal” like an artist.

People say that the first step towards creation is imitation. This is not a call to imitate or plagiarize, but a reminder to study the work that inspires you. Wonder, ask questions, research, compare photos, seek to absorb every shooting experience and improve yourself until you find your own breakthrough.

1.试着模仿

有人说创造是从模仿开始的，多看看别人的照片，思考且研究他们是如何拍摄，比较自己所拍摄的照片与其他人有何不同，从而吸收经验并改善，或许能找到属于自己的突破口。

2. Change your perspective.

When we get all too familiar with a certain point of view, its difficult to keep challenging ourselves. Something as simple as changing the height in which you look through your viewfinder could make a huge difference. Think of the way children see things, the way that birds see things from above. Don’t forget that there’s always more than one way to see the world around us.

2.变化观看事物的视野

我们对自己观看事物的角度太过于熟悉，改变透过观景窗所见的高度，偶尔以小朋友的高度观看事物，或像飞翔于高空的鸟儿来俯瞰这个世界，千万别忘了这个世界是多么的辽阔宽广，变换观看事物的视野，将会让我们看到不曾见过的新世界。

3. Wait for “the moment.”

Be prepared. Take your shooting arsenal out with you everyday and record the sights and sounds that you see everywhere you go. If you want to shoot a standout picture, you’re going to have to wait for the right moment. Sometimes, you may even need to go to back to the same place, again and again, to find the right light and capture the ideal moment.

3.等待画面的瞬间

每日随身携带拍摄器材，无论在任何地方都能够拍摄，纪录有趣的画面。想要拍出满意的画面，就必须要耐心等待适当的瞬间。通常拍摄一幅满意的作品，都需要反覆来回同一个地方，虽然有时可能只是单纯想得到不同变化的景象，却也是等待值得的一刻，并在瞬间来临时按下快门，拍摄出不一样的画面。

4. Find balance.

Give your images a sense of hierarchy, balance your composition on the screen, and find a balance between your foreground and your background. When composing two subjects in one image, consider their proportions and adjust their placement in your frame in order to get different results. To avoid confusion, don’t draw too much attention away from the focus of the photo.

4.平衡画面

为主体寻找前景或背景，不但可以令画面更丰富，提升层次感，更可以平衡画面的构图。平衡目的主要是把两样物件平均地放在相片，不论大小新旧，互相的衬托能调整视觉上的轻重，产生不一样的效果。但要注意主体最好不要过多，相片亦不能东歪西倒，以免产生混乱。

5. Smartly make use of light.

Photographs are like paintings drawn with light – even if the frame is the same, a change in the light’s direction can produce an entirely different result. Experiment!

5.光线的利用

照片是用光线所绘制的画作，即使拍摄同个目标，随着光线的方向不同，拍摄的结果也不同。

Bonus tip:

You aren’t what you shoot with. Good equipment, of course, can aid your photography endeavours to some degree, but high-end tools are not essential. What is more important is having a solid foundation in understanding how to use your camera and developing an eye for creating images. 

后记：

装备并非绝对。好的装备当然能够给予某些程度的帮助，但只是辅助并非绝对，比起装备，更重要是理解相机的基本功能，以及懂得善用角度将目标拍的漂亮，日以继夜的观察与锻炼。

Facebook: ~/jimmi.hwk

 

Contributor: Whitney Ng

脸书: ~/jimmi.hwk

 

供稿人: Whitney Ng

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The Mystical Nature of Life

January 19, 2017 2017年1月19日

The mixed media works of Shanghai-based Mexican artist Francisco Hauss are eccentric creations, often comprised of whimsical sculptures layered on top of his otherworldly paintings. Whilst appearing light-hearted at first glance, each piece is actually rather symbolic. From the Big Bang to the formation of the ecosystem and the growing consciousness of its inhabitants, Francisco’s intentions are to present his interpretation of life and existence through art.

生活在上海的墨西哥艺术家Francisco Hauss所创作的混合效应法作品充满奇妙异想，包括奇特的雕塑以及风格神秘的绘画作品。乍看之下，这些作品的风格轻松诙谐，但实际上，每一件作品都诠释着Francisco生活概念下的理想——从大爆炸，到生态系统的构筑，再到生活在系统里的居住者日益丰富的意识。

Energy & Matter

To symbolise the Big Bang, Francisco creates each backdrop to appear cosmic-like in appearance – each piece is individually painted through a careful process that relies on the combination of colour pigments and chemical reactions.

能量与物质

Francisco 以宇宙般的画面作为每一幅作品的背景，象征宇宙大爆炸。每一件作品都依赖于颜料与化学反应的相互结合，经由严谨的创作过程单独绘制而成。

Symbiosis

The ecosystem is symbolized through Francisco’s creation of 3D textures that represents earth’s living matter. The relationship and coexistence between plants, animals and other organic matter are brought to life through the varied use of colours and shapes across one canvas.

共生

Francisco 以颇具立体感的 3D材料来代表地球上的生命物质，以此象征生态系统。通过丰富的色彩和形状，将植物、动物和其它有机物质之间的关系与共存生动地展现出来。

Mysticism

Francisco then molds a series of sculptures, which represents the gradual journey of earth’s ecosystem towards a steady stream of consciousness. Each sculpture takes after ancient totems, idols and shamans; they’re meant to be symbolic of our new age “gods”.

神秘主义

Francisco创作出一系列的雕塑作品来代表地球的生态系统逐步演变成一股稳定的意识流。每件雕塑作品皆以古代的图腾、偶像和萨满为灵感创作，通过重新创造让每一件雕塑作品成为新时代的“神灵”象征。

His completed work beckons to be slowly analysed and is centered by the delicate sculptures that Francisco tenderly creates from scratch. When they’re not on display in exhibitions, he sheepishly admits that he keeps each sculpture close, housing them in carefully wrapped pajama shirts.

最终的成品被Francisco一手打造的精致雕塑围绕着，显得耐人寻味。Francisco腼腆地表示，当这些作品没有在展览中展出时，他会用睡衣衬衫小心包裹起来，好好保存。

Francisco’s most recent project is a social art showcase entitled Mystic Water. The project begins with bottles filled with “mystic water” that are provided free of charge at public events. As time progresses, the price of the water slowly increases to the point where attendees are no longer willing to purchase water. Francisco’s intention was to emphasise the importance of water as a necessity rather than a luxury. His attention to detail and desire to showcase his ideology are evident in every step of his creation process. Through art, Francisco hopes to impart a sense of positivity and spiritual interconnectivity to his viewers.

Francisco的最新项目是一个名为《神秘水》（Mystic Water）的社会艺术展览作品。在项目一开始，他会在活动中免费提供一些“神秘水”矿泉水瓶。随着时间的推移，这些矿泉水瓶的价格会慢慢上升，直到参加活动的人都不再愿意购买为止。Francisco的意图是强调水作为生活必需品——而非奢侈品——的重要性。每一个过程，人们都能清晰地感受到他对细节的注重，以及他展示自己生活理想的热切渴望。Francisco希望不断通过自己的艺术作品分享正能量和精神力量。

Behance: ~/francisco_hauss

 

Contributor & Photographer: Whitney Ng
Additional Images Courtesy of Chan Dick

Behance: ~/francisco_hauss

 

供稿人与摄影师: Whitney Ng
附加图片由Francisco Hauss提供

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Origin of Everything

January 16, 2017 2017年1月16日

In light of Guangzhou Design Week, a single 3m x 3m x 3m cube was perched amongst the grasslands of Foshan, a city in China’s Guandong Province. Local design company C.DD summarises the concept of the installation’s design in one phrase, stating that the installation can be likened to the “origin of everything”.

作为广州设计周的参展作品，一个3米×3米×3米的立方体装置坐落于广东佛山的一片绿地之上 。设计机构尺道设计事务所（C.DD）用四个字概括了这个装置的设计理念——“万物归宗”。

Due to the size limitations of the exhibition work, chief designers Xiao Pinghe and Xing Linli decided to create a structure with the highest possible volume in order to express the theme of “city”. Due to the limitation of space, the designers hoped that observers would be forced to take note of the subtle nuances of traditional culture that were weaved into the installation.

由于展方有空间限制要求，总设计师何晓平和李星霖决定选了可以拥有最大容积的立方体作为装置的载体，以呈现“城市”这个广大的主题。由于空间的限制，设计师希望能引导观众去观察融入装置中的传统文化细节。

Within the structure, there is a one-way path that allows passage for a single person to enter the exhibition at a time. When an observer walks through the cube, the two squares created by the bamboo wall and exterior form the Chinese character hui, which symbolises their concept of “return to the origin”.

装置内设有一条仅能容纳一人通行的单向走道。竹子墙和外立面墙的两个方形实际上拼出了一个象征“归宗”的“回”字，而观众正是沿这个“回”字通道穿过立方体装置。

The exterior is a true homage to Foshan, with a map of Foshan city and Nanhai county, as well as the Chinese character for Foshan indented through the steel plate structure. Beyond the steel walls, the designers used bamboo to form a rectangular space around the center of the cube. In the structure’s core lies an unfinished paper Chinese lion and a traditional Chinese drum, which come to life with a combination of background music and flashing lights.

装置的外立面墙是对佛山这座城市的真正致敬——钢板墙面上拼出了佛山市和南海县的地图以及“佛山”两个字。除了钢板墙面，设计师还在装置的中央用竹子隔出一个长方体空间。在装置中心还有一个南狮白胚和牛皮鼓原型，在空间内背景音乐和闪烁彩灯的映衬下，显得栩栩如生。

Depending on the time of day, the lighting that illuminates the structure will offer visitors a varied experience. The design team hoped that the installation’s ever-changing facets would inspire visitors to uncover each visual dimension, and in turn, lead them to rediscover the many layers of Foshan’s traditional culture.

根据一天中不同的时间，装置的照明为观众带来不同的观赏体验。设计团队希望装置千变万化的模样可以启发观众去发现不同的视觉维度，从而重新去感悟佛山不同层面的传统文化。

Contributor: Whitney Ng
Photographer: Ou Yangyun
Images Courtesy of C.DD

供稿人: Whitney Ng
摄影师: 欧阳云
图片由尺道设计事务所提供

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Chai Wan Fire Station

January 13, 2017 2017年1月13日

An eye for consistency and unwavering patience, these were the two qualities I was most certain that Hong Kong-based photographer Chan Dick possessed, even before I stepped into his studio in Chai Wan.

还未踏入香港摄影师陈的位于柴湾的工作室之前，我已经能够肯定，他是一位善于发现一致性和拥有坚定耐心的摄影师。

His award-winning photo series Chai Wan Fire Station, which documents the daily comings and goings of a fire station courtyard, is a soothing spectacle that beckons viewers to enjoy each frame slowly, so as to uncover the differences of each shot.

他的获奖摄影作品系列《柴湾消防局》记录了一个消防局球场来来往往的日常景象，妙趣横生的影像充满舒缓的风格，仿佛在邀请观众放慢节拍，细细欣赏每一帧照片，以体会每张影像之间的差异。

“While working at my workshop one day, I discovered the bird’s-eye view of Chai Wan Fire Station through the ventilation window of the washroom for the first time. What I saw was more eventful than I thought. Apart from undergoing physical training, the firemen of this station also played volleyball, washed fire trucks and held guided tours for students. All this happened within this little square area that I observed and framed from above. Days and months passed, scenes began to repeat themselves. I started to slow down and patiently wait for the next unexpected scene.”

“有一天我突然发现，工作室洗手间的通风窗口可以俯瞰到柴湾消防局。我所看到的景象似乎比我以往想象的要更丰富热闹，除了进行体能训练，消防员还会在这个球场上打排球，冲洗消防车和接待学生参观团。这一切都发生在这个小小的正方形区域中，我往下俯瞰，观察这里发生的一切，用相机捕捉每个画面。日复一日，这些场景开始周而复始地出现。我开始放慢脚步，耐心等待下一个意料之外的瞬间。”

The pastel green courtyard forms the backdrop for each scene, populated by the local heroes and their everyday comings and goings. Volleyball games were a daily occurrence, as were rigorous training drills that look deceptively simple from above. The uniformity of the series is not only pleasing to the eye but also a testament to its subjects – the firemen below are nothing short of structured and disciplined. In order to create the series’ characteristically consistent overhead view, Chan Dick spent months with his camera, held by hand through a narrow window, patiently waiting for the opportune moment.

淡绿色的球场构成了每个场景的背景，再由消防局的英雄和他们的日常往来填充其中。每天这里都会进行排球比赛，还有严格的训练和演习——从上方俯瞰，这些训练和演习看上去有一种不真实的简单感。整个摄影系列的一致性不仅赏心悦目，而且也见证了他的摄影对象——消防员的组织性和纪律性。为了让整个系列保持一贯特有的俯视角度，陈的花了几个月时间通过一个狭窄的窗户手持相机，耐心等待按下快门的时机。

Unfortunately, Chan Dick no longer works from the same studio that overlooks the fire station. Beyond being a well-equipped photography space, every corner of his new studio features notable remnants of times gone past.

可惜的是，陈的已经搬离了这个能够俯瞰柴湾消防局的工作室。他的新工作室不仅装备精良，每一个角落更是充满着往日时光的痕迹。

As the afternoon unfolded, I slowly came to realise that Chan Dick’s work embodied a third quality that was nothing short of compelling: his love for Hong Kong is deeply rooted in everything and the surroundings that he grew up in are thematically evident in each body of work. The subtle nuances of nostalgia and his unwavering desire to preserve the Hong Kong that he remembers is the true draw card that makes Chan Dick’s photography unforgettable.

时间转眼到了下午，我逐渐意识到，陈的的作品还拥有第三种同样引人注目的品质——他对香港的爱深深植根于一切，他的成长环境是他作品中难以忽视的主题。他希望维持自己记忆中的香港，这份坚定愿望与怀旧情绪之间有着微妙的区别，而这也正是他的摄影作品如此吸引且令人难忘的地方。

Website: chandick.hk
Facebook: ~/chandickhk

 

Contributor & Photographer: Whitney Ng
Additional Images Courtesy of Chan Dick

网站: chandick.hk
脸书: ~/chandickhk

 

供稿人與攝影師: Whitney Ng
附加图片由陳的提供

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Under Feet Like Ours

January 9, 2017 2017年1月9日

The work of cultural anthropologist and documentary photographer Jo Farrell combines her innate love for Asia and a self-described desperation to capture disappearing worlds. Her fascination with the region’s rich culture and her desire to explore women’s traditions compelled her to create her photo book Bound Feet Women in China. Over tea in a tiny restaurant tucked away in the depths of central Hong Kong, she relayed how she felt compelled to shed light on an age-old societal issue – the lengths that women will go in search of acceptance, appreciation and self-worth. “We all seem to be obsessed with our flaws and do not celebrate our differences or individuality,” she commented. “I wanted to explore why women alter their bodies to be more attractive.”

文化人类学家和纪实摄影师 Jo Farrell 的作品糅合了她对亚洲的由衷热爱以及她对于捕捉消失的世界的那份热切渴望。亚洲丰富的文化历史以及她对于探讨女性传统文化的愿望促使她创作出摄影集《中国最后的三寸金莲》。在一间隐没于香港中环摩天大楼的小小茶餐厅里，Jo Farrell 向我们讲述着她对于揭示这一个古老的社会问题的强烈渴望——探讨女性为了获得认可、赞赏和自我价值所愿意付出的代价。“我们似乎都十分关注我们外表上的缺陷，而不是对自己的个性或不同之处引以为傲，我想要探讨为什么女性会为了让自己看上去更有吸引力而改变自己的身体。”

This passion project turned photography book has spanned nearly 11 years; Jo has returned to China year after year, photographing a total of 50 bound feet women. “The most memorable moment of this project was when I met Zhang Yunying, the first women I documented with bound feet. The pain and suffering she must have gone through to be considered beautiful, desirable and marriage worthy made me question the extreme lengths that we, as contemporary women, will still go in order to be accepted in our own society. Since then, I have held almost 20 pairs of bound feet in my hands; often the woman will appear embarrassed and I assure them they have nothing to be ashamed of.”

这本摄影集来源于一个充满热情且跨越了近11年的摄影项目。年复一年，Jo Farrell 踏足中国，一共拍摄了50名裹足女性。“在这个项目进行期间，最让我难忘的时刻是我见到张云英（音译）的那一刻，她是我第一个拍摄的裹足女性。为了成为人们眼中美丽、迷人、值得结婚的对象，她所要经历的那些疼痛和痛苦让我开始思考，当代女性为了被社会认可会愿意付出多高的代价。从那时起，我的双手已经捧过差不多20对‘三寸金莲’的小脚；这些女性往往会感到不好意思，但我安慰她们没有什么需要感到羞耻的。”

When shooting in China, Jo is completely in her element. Armed with her trusty Hasselblad 500, a macro lens and plenty of film, she interviews and photographs from morning until sunset, making the most of the day’s natural light to capture breathtaking black-and-white portraits of her subjects. “I believe that film photography is a fine art. There are only 12 frames on a roll. You have to be very precise and know what you want to capture. I print all of my photographs, full frame and no cropping – what you see is what I intended to photograph. To me, the whole process of developing film and working in the darkroom is just pure art. I love the whole process from conception to exhibition.”

在中国拍摄时，Jo Farrell如鱼得水——带着她最信赖的Hassleblad 500 相机，一支微距镜头和大量的胶片。她的采访和拍摄工作往往从早上一直持续到日落，只为了充分利用白天的自然光线，以拍摄出令人赞叹的黑白肖像作品。“我相信，胶片摄影是一门艺术。每一卷胶片只有12帧。你必须要非常精确，清楚知道你想捕捉的东西。我会将我拍摄的所有照片全部打印出来，整幅打印，不作任何裁剪，你看到的照片就是我想要拍摄的照片。对我来说，冲洗胶片的过程和在暗室里的工作都是纯粹的艺术。我喜欢从概念到最终展示出成品的整个过程。”

Jo’s next photography project will take her to rural Myanmar where she will be photographing the brass neck-coiled Kayan women. She hopes that her works will continue to lend an intimate voice to stories otherwise untold and that each photograph can be seen as a celebration of the women that she has been honoured to meet throughout Asia.

Jo Farrell的下一个摄影项目是前往缅甸的农村，在那里，她将拍摄以黄铜圈缠绕颈部的“长颈族”克耶邦女性。她希望自己的作品能成为一种发声，向人们讲述出那些未曾被讲述的故事，希望每张照片都能成为她对有幸遇到的亚洲女性的一种赞美。

Website:
jofarrell.com
livinghistory.photography

 

Contributor: Whitney Ng

网站:
jofarrell.com
livinghistory.photography

 

供稿人: Whitney Ng

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Farmers, Roasters, Baristas

December 26, 2016 2016年12月26日

At the end of an unkempt highway lies a series of dirt roads that snake into rows of single-story warehouses. Crunching gravel and the hum of loaded trucks are drowned out by a single scent that wafts longingly through Kunming’s crisp afternoon air. Curious neighbours curve their heads around the corner to find a young engineer pouring fresh coffee beans into a roaring roasting machine. Taking ten minutes to roast, the hand-picked coffee beans from Yunnan’s sun-kissed mountaintops evolve from a natural moss green to a dark and rich whiskey brown.

在一段乡间公路的尽头，连接着几条蜿蜒曲折的泥路，两旁建着几排只有一层楼的仓库。在昆明午后凉爽的空气中，一股诱人芳香飘荡而来，令人忘却了路上嘎吱作响的碎石和载满货物的卡车发出的嗡嗡声音。好奇的邻居在街角伸着头，看着一名年轻的工程师往一台轰隆着的烘焙机里放入新鲜的咖啡豆。十分钟后，这些从沐浴于阳光下的云南山颠纯手工采撷下来的天然鲜绿咖啡豆逐渐变为威士忌酒般的浓郁暗棕色调。

The best of Yunnan’s coffee trees are tucked away in the mountains of Baoshan, an hour and a half by air out of Kunming, Yunnan’s capital. Typica remains one of the most highly sought after breed of Arabica, growing tall and temperamental amongst the fringes of farming communities. Three years ago—before the boom of specialty coffee in China—coffee beans were almost considered to be a negative resource. Lanna Coffee founder Bryan Ra began to experiment with Yunnan-grown beans after moving to Kunming in 2010. At the time, veteran farmer Ms. Yang was days away from unearthing her plantation of Typica plants in favour of fruit trees. If not for his timely partnership with the loyal matriarch of Typica, one of Yunnan’s largest coffee farms would cease to exist today.

在云南，最为上乘的咖啡树藏身于保山地区的群山之中，从云南首府昆明出发，需要乘坐一个半小时的飞机才能到达。铁皮卡仍然是最备受追捧的阿拉比卡咖啡豆品种，这种咖啡豆种植于农业区域边缘高高的咖啡树上，栽培难度很大。三年前——在中国精品咖啡流行之前——咖啡豆可以说一直被视为是一种无益的资源。杨女士是一名有着多年农业种植经验的农民。还有几天，她就要开始开垦她的铁皮卡咖啡豆种植园。她最终选择了种植咖啡豆，而放弃了种植水果。在2010年 兰纳咖啡创始人Bryan Ra搬到昆明生活后，成为了首批尝试云南咖啡豆的人。如果他没有与这名坚持种植铁皮卡咖啡豆的女种植园主及时达成合作，云南其中一个最大的咖啡豆种植园今天可能已经不复存在。

“When we first started coming [to Baoshan, Yunnan], there was nobody else. We scouted from farm to farm until we found Ms. Yang, and we started working with her because she grew the best coffee beans. Five years later, everyone, all the big guys—Starbucks, Nespresso, Costa—they’re all here and vying for a piece of Yunnan coffee. But it feels good to know that we were here first and because of that, we get to give our customers the very best cup.”

“当我们刚开始来到这里 (云南,保山) 的时候，还没有其他人来这里买咖啡豆。我们一个个农场地去走访，直到我们找到了杨女士，然后我们开始和她进行合作，因为她能种出品质最佳的咖啡豆。”五年后，所有人，所有的大型咖啡商——Starbucks，Nespresso，Costa——他们都来到了这里，争着购买云南咖啡。但是我们很高兴我们是首先发掘到这个地方的人，正因为如此，我们才能够给我们的顾客提供最好的咖啡。“

Fast forward to today. In a little lane house that’s nestled amongst titan skyscrapers in the heart of Shanghai is where visitors can find Lanna Coffee, their sole coffee shop and the heart of their business that powers the surrounding suits and coffee enthusiasts with quality brew. This tiny café is manned by experienced baristas who charm and delight, greeting customers by name.

让我们把目光转回到今天。兰纳咖啡就坐落于上海的一条小巷子里，藏身于市中心的摩天大楼之间。作为他们经营的唯一一间咖啡厅，这个咖啡厅无疑是他们的业务核心所在，为附近的上班族和咖啡爱好者提供着品质上乘的咖啡。在这一间小小的咖啡厅内，经验丰富的咖啡师以过人魅力和快乐的气氛来迎接顾客，亲切地称呼着每位顾客的名字。

Regulars have their coffee orders confirmed and made upon arrival with nothing more than a familiar glance and a comforting smile. The term “farm-to-cup” is coined from farm-to-table cuisine and is appropriately displayed on their walls – it’s truly the most sincere embodiment of the company’s ethos. Farmers, roasters, baristas—from Yunnan to Shanghai—they’re all working together to put Lanna’s specialty Chinese coffee on the map.

对于这里的常客来说，来到咖啡厅里，他们只需要一个熟悉的眼神和笑容，店员就能知道他们要点的咖啡，并为他们制作好咖啡。“农场到咖啡杯”（farm-to-cup）这个词的灵感来源于“农场到餐桌”（farm-to-table）的美食理念，这个词被郑重地摆放在咖啡厅的墙上，完美地诠释了这家公司的创业宗旨。从云南到上海，农民、咖啡豆烘焙师、咖啡师，他们一起努力，通过兰纳咖啡让精品中国咖啡在咖啡行业留下自己的标记。

Website: lannacoffee.cn
Instagram: @lannacoffee

 

Address:
8 Yuyuan East Road
Jing An, Shanghai
People’s Republic of China

Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8am ~ 7pm
Weekends, 10am ~ 7pm

 

Contributor & Photographer: Whitney Ng

网站: lannacoffee.cn
Instagram: @lannacoffee

 

地址：
中国
上海市静安区
豫园东路8号

营业时间:
周一至周五, 早上8点至晚上7点
周末, 早上10点至晚上7点

 

供稿人与摄影师: Whitney Ng

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In the Studio with Alex Carroll

December 22, 2016 2016年12月22日

Alex Carroll‘s art studio spans an entire floor of his family’s Shanghai home. After brewing a fresh pot of jasmine tea and leading me up to the second floor, he bittersweetly admits that there will be no such spacious luxuries after he and his family moves back to America next year. The room is filled with supplies and a series of works that range from pieces in the idea stage to fully completed works. I spent very little of the morning directing our conversation; Alex articulates his thoughts in the same way that he creates his large visual pieces – with purpose. His words are profound with meaning and balanced with both humour and humility. Through chatting with him over the course of an afternoon, I came to know him as a true advocate for boundless creativity and as someone deeply respectful of the China that he has come to call home for the last decade.

在Alex Carroll 位于上海的家中，他的艺术工作室便占了整整一层楼。Alex Carroll 为我煮了一壶茉莉花茶后，带着我上了二楼, 他苦中带乐地表示，明年他和家人回到美国定居后就再也不能享受到这样宽敞的空间了。在这个艺术工作室中，摆满了艺术用品和一系列由他创作的作品，既有处于构思阶段的作品，也有已经完成的作品。当天早上的采访中，只有小部分的时间我需要引导我们的对话，大部分时候，Alex Carroll都能准确清楚地来表达着他的想法，一如他在创作大型的视觉作品时那样，总是带着明确的主题。他的话语意味深长，又不失幽默和谦卑。一整个下午，通过与他的对话，我逐渐了解到他是一名真正在拥护无限创意的艺术家，以及他对中国所怀有的深深的敬意。在过去十年来，这里一直被他称为是自己的“家”。

Neocha: Each one of your pieces is extremely textural and fluid; what mediums do you predominantly work with in order to create the moving energy that is present within your art pieces?

Carroll: I play around a lot with the ideas of the physical and metaphysical. With a charcoal stick, I can communicate a bigger idea by bringing this “dead” material to life. I’ve always thought that working with charcoal was very romantic. I’m able to get this rich value from using black, with only the paper as highlights. I try to achieve density and transparency. Finding a nice balance between light and dark enables me to create the overall mood of each piece.

Neocha: 你的每一件作品都拥有非常突出的纹理质感和流畅性。在创作的时候，你主要会采用什么样的工具来营造出作品中这些充满动感的能量的呢？

Carroll: 我经常会以形而下和形而上的理念来尝试创作，譬如，通过木炭笔，我可以为这些“死”的”材料注入生命力，用以传达出更大的理念。我一直认为，只用木炭笔来创作是一件非常浪漫的事情。只用黑色来创作，我也能够打造出丰富的效果，而画纸就是我唯一的高光色彩。我尝试表现出密度和透明度，如果能在光与影之间找到一个好的平衡，就能让我在每一件作品中营造出整体的情绪。

Neocha: Can you tell us more about your drawing process? How does your art go from concept to completion?

Carroll: Drawing is both an additive and a subtractive procedure. For me, what is taken away is just as important as what is put down. I go out and buy erasers in the same way that I buy pencils; I give it the same attention to detail because I like the erased mark as much as I like the drawn mark. Drawing is about having this vocabulary of marks that you can employ to create the work. You build up a language and the more words you can utilise in your speech, the more dynamic your speech is.

I like to get my drawings to a point where everything flows together – what really excites me is working in black and white with a figure. It’s about being able to trace softness, hardness, density and light. Because our figures are like that; the way we move, when we add stress on one leg, that movement is hard, dark and bold. For my Transient series, I set about capturing movement through space. Each piece is derived from photographs; it represents metaphysical bodies moving out of sync with the physical surrounds and how we all have an expiration date.

Neocha: 你能跟我们分享一下你的绘画过程吗？从作品构思到最后完成创作，这一过程是怎样的？

Carroll: 绘画是一个不断加加减减的过程。对我来说，被擦掉的内容与加入的内容是同等重要的。我在外面买橡皮擦的时候和我买铅笔的时候是一样的谨慎，我都会考虑到至为细微的细节，因为对我来说，被擦除的痕迹与我所描画的痕迹是一样重要的。绘画其实就是在利用一系列自己掌握的“痕迹”来创作出作品，这些“痕迹”就像是语言的词汇一样，你在学习一种语言时，当你积累了越多的单词，你就可以用在你的演讲中，进行更好的表达。

我希望让自己创作的绘画作品产生让所有元素融汇在一起流动的效果，最让我兴奋的是，只用黑色和白色来创作人物廓形。这样的创作需要描画出柔软感、硬度、密度和光线。因为我们的轮廓就是这样的。而表达我们的移动方式时，我们会往一条腿上施力，所表现的状态应该是强硬的，用深度并且大胆的方式展现。在我的《Transient》 系列中，我通过一定的空间来定格运动。每一件作品都是源自于摄影作品的再创作，它代表了形而上的物体与形而下的环境之间的不同步。它还意味着，我们都有一个“保质日期”。

Neocha: How has moving to China influenced your art and the way that you create?

Carroll: Art is so valued here in China. The language itself is an art, writing Chinese is an art. Chinese calligraphy is a series of spontaneous gestures, but yet, every stroke is so learned and practised. I love that immediacy, where the brush stroke breaks and the white of the paper comes through. Coming to China and seeing this whole school of thought; that really affirmed what I was doing and it got me excited about the kind of work that I could create here. I have been so privileged to be in a culture that appreciates art and appreciates that kind of thinking – that just doesn’t exist in America.

Neocha: 移居中国对你的艺术作品以及你创作的方式有什么影响？

Carroll: 在中国，艺术是如此的宝贵。中文这种语言本身就是一门艺术，书写汉字也是一门艺术。中国的书法由一系列自然而然的姿态组成，但每一笔都体现着学习和练习的功力。我喜欢那种即时可见的效果，当毛笔提起时，纸张的白色逐渐透现出来。来到中国，目睹这种思想学派，让我真正明确了自己的艺术创作，因此，一想到我在这里能够进行的创作我就感到非常兴奋。我很庆幸自己能来到这里，这里的文化能真正地欣赏艺术和理解这种理念，这是美国的文化中所缺乏的。

Neocha: In addition to being an artist, you’ve also been an art educator for many years. How has teaching impacted on your perception of art as a whole?

Carroll: I believe that creativity from art paves the way to understanding the world and building self-knowledge. I didn’t grow up in a very creative household. For the longest time, I saw art as a hobby and drawing was something that I did to pass the time. My parents never discouraged it, but they didn’t encourage it. I think it’s so important for kids who don’t have an artistic outlet at home to be able to go to a classroom and see their creations as achievements. Beyond being fun, art is an achievement and it’s a joy to see kids exceed their own expectations – that’s why I teach. Art education is so important; I really believe that it is the key to building self-worth. There are some artists who are confident in what their art is and their artistic voice is so strong. But I’m humbled by art. I love that I can draw. I feel very privileged that I can draw and I always have. When I draw, I don’t necessarily see it as “this is what I can do”, but rather I see it as, “this is what was given to me.” And it’s my job to keep practising it. I’m not a religious person, but I am a spiritual person, and I see this ability as a gift rather than just a talent.

Neocha: 除了身为一名艺术家，你同时也担任了多年的艺术教育工作。总的来说，教学的经验对你的艺术认知有什么影响呢？

Carroll: 我相信来自艺术的创意能帮助人们理解世界和建立自我认知。我并非出身于一个非常有创意的艺术家庭；在很长的时间里，我一直将艺术视为一种爱好，把绘画当作打发时间的事情。虽然我的父母从未阻止我画画，但他们也没有鼓励我去画画。我认为对于那些在家中难以抒发出自己艺术创意力的小朋友，如果能够去到教室中学习，让他们将自己的创作视为成就，对他们来说是很重要的。除了好玩，艺术也是一种成就，当看到孩子们的创作超过他们自己的期望时，实在是一件很令人开心的事情。这就是为什么我选择做教育的原因。艺术教育是如此重要，我真的认为它是建立自我价值的关键因素。有一些艺术家对自己创作的作品十分自信，他们艺术风格是如此的强烈。但艺术让我感到谦卑。我很开心我能绘画，我感到非常幸运，自己会画画，并能够一直坚持画画。 当我绘画时，我不会觉得“这是我所能够做的事情”，而是“这是我所被赐予的礼物”，所以我的责任是不断地练习。我不是宗教人士，但我是一个有精神信仰的人，在我看来，这种能力并不纯粹只是一种能力，更是一份天赐的礼物。

Website: alexcarroll.net

 

Contributor & Photographer: Whitney Ng

网站: alexcarroll.net

 

供稿人與攝影師: Whitney Ng

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Beauty in Normalcy

December 15, 2016 2016年12月15日

Jun Ngyuen is a Hanoi-based creative, whose journey with photography began seven years ago upon receiving her very first film camera. “It was cheap, only $70. But once I had it, I fell into it – I put so much time into creating every single frame.”

Jun Ngyuen là một nhà nhiếp ảnh tại Hà Nội, khi lần đầu tiên nhận được một chiếc máy ảnh vào 7 năm trước, cô đã bắt đầu cuộc hành trình nhiếp ảnh của mình. “Rẻ mà, chỉ có $70. Nhưng khi có nó, tôi đã thật sự đắm chìm – tôi dành rất nhiều thời gian cho mỗi bức ảnh.”

Over the years, she has traveled around Asia, seeking to capture the sights and sounds of the various cultures that she has come across. Her images tell silent stories of each of the strangers that she has encountered. Images from this series feature her collective trips to Sapa, a small town north of Vietnam and El Nido in the Phillippines.

Sau nhiều năm, cô đã đi khắp Châu Á, lưu lại những hình ảnh và âm thanh của nhiều nền văn hóa khác nhau mà cô đã đi qua. Các bức ảnh là những câu chuyện về mỗi người lạ mà cô đã gặp. Những bức ảnh này được chụp từ chuyến đi tập thể của cô đến Sapa, một thị trấn nhỏ ở phía bắc Việt Nam và El Nido ở Phillippines.

“Photography is both preservation and expression. People get busy and don’t pay attention to the simplest of things – we forget that even normalcy has beauty. There are so many moments that I want to share, but I’m not so good with words. Sometimes, I just let my photos say it all.”

“Nhiếp ảnh là để gìn giữ và bày tỏ cảm xúc. Mọi người quá bận rộn và không để tâm đến những điều đơn giản nhất – chúng ta đã quên rằng thậm chí những thứ bình thường cũng có vẻ đẹp riêng. Vậy nên có rất nhiều khoảnh khắc tôi muốn chia sẻ, tiếc là tôi không giỏi diễn đạt – đôi khi, tôi cứ để những bức ảnh của mình nói lên tất cả.”

Jun considers herself to be part of a lucky new generation of creatives who are currently thriving in Vietnam. “We are enthusiastic, passionate and full of ideas – and now, we’re finally getting the support and opportunities we need from the greater community.”

Jun xem mình là một phần của thế hệ những nhà nhiếp ảnh may mắn đang phát triển tại Việt Nam. “Chúng tôi nhiệt tình, đam mê và đầy ý tưởng – và giờ đây, chúng tôi cuối cùng đã nhận được sự hỗ trợ cũng như các cơ hội từ những cộng đồng lớn hơn.”

To Jun Ngyuen, creation is a remedy, rather than a means to an end. “This keeps me positive. I hope that by doing what I do, people can see how beautiful the world is and draw inspiration from it the way that I do.”

Gửi Jun Ngyugen, sáng tạo là một phương thuốc, chứ không phải là một phương tiện để đạt được mục đích cuối cùng. “Điều này sẽ giúp tôi trở nên tích cực. Tôi hi vọng với những gì tôi đã làm, mọi người có thể thấy thế giới này thật tươi đẹp và lấy cảm hứng đó để chung bước cùng tôi.”

Contributor: Whitney Ng

Người đóng góp: Whitney Ng

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