Afterhours: Now and Then

after hours: Street Photography in Hong Kong Lisa Joyce Lai, Essa, Huy Truong, Chad Villarico, Peter W Wong

Viewing Evening | Thursday 26 June 2025, 5:30 - 9:30PM Roundtable Sharing | Thursday 26 June 2025, 7:30PM Conducted in English. Chinese tea and snacks available at first come, first served basis.

On View | Monday 23 June to Sunday 3 August 2025, 5PM - 2AM Daily Open to Public. Free Entry.

Venue | Moon of Autumn , 22/F, Nathan Hill, 38 Hillwood Road RSVP | 852 5239 3254

now and then Printed by PHOTATO

after hours: After Hours: Now and Then Street Photography in Hong Kong Lisa Joyce Lai, Essa, Huy Truong, Chad Villarico, Peter W Wong

Five selected local photographers in Hong Kong are connected in this exhibition under the common practice of shooting everyday happenings of the streets, moments, capturing dynamics, and disappearance.

These eyes for detail capture the everyday happenings in the city around the clock, favouring shifts of elements that flow throughout day and night, and are time capsules through different decades, some that may still only exist here in ink.

This street photography collaboration was a perfect opportunity for the group to explore how people see Hong Kong, finding what we consider special identities and characteristics in this place that we associate with being dated and preserved through different eras. The choice of shooting in black and white is often the photographer’s favourite mode, for its ability to capture the impact of natural and artificial light, provoking emotion and creating the most cinematic moments.

Curated by Essa. Conceptualised with Jeffi Liu.

Lisa Joyce Lai is a photographer and architect based in Hong Kong, focusing on the relationship between people and their environments.

Lisa captures urban landscapes and public spaces, highlighting the everyday stories woven into their design.

Originally from Vietnam and raised Photography practice has always in Australia, Huy has settled in accompanied her practices, Hong Kong, where he works as an whether in fashion, spatial, multimedia design, even integrated art director and designer. in generative AI contexts. Original His career is built on creative problem-solving, visual photographs have played an important role. storytelling, and designing Although the use of film only came impactful magazine and book covers. about a couple years ago when Essa had refurbished a set of film Outside of work, he enjoys photographing the city's fleeting camera and lens and also discovered many dated rolls of moments, preserving them through 1990s inherited from an elder uncle. his camera.

Collecting vintage cameras is Her Canon EOS 1000F has now another hobby that he enjoys. become a daily tool.

She like to shoot the streets whether during the day or night under strong contrasted light, capturing vast landscapes, quiet movements and activites on the streets, architectural details, people going about daily lives. Her shoots the most between visits to Japan or in her hometown in Hong Kong.

Peter had shot his first roll of film Chad Villarico is a designer and film photographer originally from back in his elementary school days, the Philippines and currently based and photography continues to be his primary artistic interest to this in Hong Kong. His passion for photography ignited in 2006 with a day.

This collection is from his body of Nikon camera, but it was in 2020 that he rediscovered the art using a work, shot on film between 2000 and 2009. rangefinder.

Carrying his camera with him daily, Similar work on old buildings in Chad's work reflects his life in Hong Hong Kong by Peter was featured in Kong — its vibrant people and the the monthly photographic column elements that resonate with him in (人間定格) of the HK Economic this second home. He is captivated Journal (信報) on 8th Jan, 2010. by the raw grit of the streets, where the genuine sounds and emotions of life unfold. His photography captures the stories of those navigating complex systems, as well as those who are often overlooked and taken for granted.

Just another face in the crowd, a typical pedestrian among many, Chad aims to illuminate the realities of the world that we all inhabit, showcasing the beauty in everyday struggles and triumphs.

now and then

after hours: Work Details

Huy Truong 1.

Posterized, 2024 2.

One Track Mind, 2024 3.

Freeze-frame, 2024 Some journeys, whether Hong Kong Island or Kowloon side, can let you imagine that you were still living in 1970s momentarily.

Lisa Joyce Lai 4. Dawn’s Veil Over The City, 5. A Reminiscence of a Fishermen Village 6. Sunset Glow Over Urban Silhouettes “Hong Kong: Three Moods in Monochrome” This triptych captures Hong Kong in elemental transformation—from the overwhelming presence of nature dawning over the concrete jungle; to the layers of the city intertwining in the weightless breath of fog; finally as a blade-sharp revelation, sunlight carving the city’s bones in brutal contrast. Stripped of color, these images become parables: of endurance, impermanence, and the unyielding light that defines all edges. A metropolis not just seen, but felt.

Chad Villarico 7. Untitled, 2024, 8. Untitled, 2024, 9. Untitled, 2024 Carrying his camera with him daily, Chad's work reflects his life in Hong Kong — its vibrant people and the elements that resonate with him in this second home. He is captivated by the raw grit of the streets, where the genuine sounds and emotions of life unfold. His photography captures the stories of those navigating complex systems, as well as those who are often overlooked and taken for granted.

As just another face in the crowd, a typical pedestrian among many, Chad aims to illuminate the realities of the world we all inhabit, showcasing the beauty in everyday struggles and triumphs.

Essa

Peter W Wong

Peter W Wong

13. 永和號 The Wing Wo Grocery Store, 2000 Wing Wo is one of the oldest existing pre-war buildings in Hong Kong. It is located at the junction of Graham Street and Wellington Street, within the open-air market areas in Central. It was built in 1844 and rebuilt into the building we see today in 1878. The building became the seafood grocery store in the 1930s. It is currently being preserved and rated as a Grade 1 historic building in Hong Kong.

15. 東英大廈 Tung Ying Building #a, 2001 16. 東英大廈 Tung Ying Building #b, 2001 Tung Ying Building is an old commercial building in Hong Kong, located between Nathan Road, Granville Road and Carnarvon Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It was built in 1965 and was the largest office building in Kowloon Peninsula at that time. The shopping mall houses many photography equipment stores and was once the most concentrated place for photography equipment stores in Kowloon. It was announced to be rebuilt in 2005 and the current The One was completed in 2010.

17. 皇后戲院 Queen's Theatre, 2000 The Queen's Theatre was a prominent cinema established in 1924, and eventually closed in 2007.

It was located at the heart of Central, right next to the Theatre Lane on its East side.

14. 餐廳內部 Restaurant in the IFC, 2008 Interior of the Canteen restaurant near the atrium of the IFC Mall in Central.

10. The Other Jumbo, 2025 11. Worshippers, 2024 12. Hollywood Doll, 2024 This series capture some detail relics of the streets that provide hint to aging places, low light capture only strong lighting with largely darkened surroundings to create focused yet eerie ghostly tone to the framed subjects. The general intimidating moments are particularly attractive for Essa, and are what she spends time to look for and capture in her lens.

now and then Sales Enquiries | essahqi@gmail.com or 852 5239 3254

after hours: Worklist & Pricelist

Huy Truong 1.

2.

3.

Posterized, 2024 One Track Mind, 2024 Freeze-frame, 2024 Full Series

Lisa Joyce Lai HKD 1,950 HKD 1,950 HKD 1,950 HKD 5,350

4. Dawn’s Veil Over The City 5. A Reminiscence of a Fishermen Village 6. Sunset Glow Over Urban Silhouettes Full Series

Chad Villarico 7. Untitled, 2024 8. Untitled, 2024 9. Untitled, 2024 Full Series

HKD 2,600 HKD 2,600 HKD 2,600 HKD 5,200

Essa 10. The Other Jumbo, 2025 11. Worshippers, 2024 12. Hollywood Doll, 2024 Full Series

HKD 5,000 HKD 5,000 HKD 5,000 HKD 12,000

Peter W Wong 13. 永和號 The Wing Wo Grocery Store, c.2000 14. 餐廳內部 Restaurant in the IFC, c.2008

HKD 2,600 HKD 2,600 HKD 2,600 HKD 6,600

Peter W Wong HKD 2,600 HKD 2,600

15. 東英大廈 Tung Ying Building #a, c.2001 16. 東英大廈 Tung Ying Building #b, c.2001 17. 皇后戲院 Queen's Theatre, c.2000 Full Series (Set of 5)

HKD 2,600 HKD 2,600 HKD 2,600 HKD 10,000

now and then Sales Enquiries | essahqi@gmail.com or 852 5239 3254 *Upon purchasing order please share payment receipt to sales enquiries email address.