DELIVERING THE MESSAGE OF TIMELESSNESS

Over thirty years have gone by since my first portrait work. Portraiture has had an undeniable significance in my artistic practice, and in a sense, I have dedicated myself to portraiture because it shapes my values into a message – this very message connects me with the world outside, the audience.

Every portrait I made is a new experience. Nervousness stirs up. My inner emotions fluctuate. These are part of the creative process. Communication and interaction with the subjects are complicated and influence the outcome; the complications are brought about by feelings that can hardly be put into words.

Actually, what I try to achieve is a new definition of the subject. I always put aside the established image and portray the person from my own perspective. Consequently, they do not always prefer the outcome. Still, I insist, due to the significance of my practice: what I am doing is not merely a service, but a delivery of a message through the subjects, or through the process.

Sometimes I see myself when I am making portraits: I discover that the subjects and I share some common characters, and I see my own shadow in them as if part of me exists within them. At other times, I intentionally portray my own self in the subject, and people who know me well sometimes read me in the images. This seemingly bizarre experience makes my portraits interesting and exemplifies the style of my portraiture.

I was once asked for an explanation on the somewhat stern faces in the portraits and the seeming lack of emotion. I see the non-smiling state as a relatively true self. The smile is not an expression that lasts for long, while a countenance that shows no expression can render a sense of eternity, of timelessness. This sense directs my creativity.

永恆的信息 

我從第一張拍攝的肖像照至今，已有三十多年了。肖像攝影在我的作品裡佔了重要的位置。我選擇肖像攝影作為我的藝術表達形式，主要原因是基於信念。我相信它能把我心中存在的一些價值觀，通過它能轉化成為一個訊息。這個訊息是我與外界（觀者／讀者）溝通的一道橋樑。

每次拍攝一位人物都是新的體騐。內心的緊張，情緒的複雜變化等等成為了創作的元素；與被攝者怎樣溝通，大家會有怎樣的化學反應等等將會影響拍攝的結果；其中包含了很多感覺的問題，亦難以用文字清楚解釋。而我追求的，是給予被攝者一個新的詮譯。我總是把他們固有的形象抽走，從新注入我對他們的見解。所以不是每個人都喜歡我為他們拍的照片。但我堅持這樣做是因為當中的意義是非常重要的。因為我不是在提供服務，我是要通過他們要說點什麼……通過拍攝的過程要發現點什麼……。在拍攝的過程中我總有些時間是看見自己的，通過對方發現一些與我共有的特質，看見自己的影子，就像有部份的我存在於對方身上。但有時卻又相反，我刻意地把「自我」投射到對方身上。所以相熟的朋友會感覺到照片中人有很強烈的我的性格存在。這些聽上去怪異的感覺其實是我的肖像作品裡非常有趣的地方。我相信因此也成為了我的照片的風格。

曾經有記者問為什麼你拍攝的人物的表情大都很嚴肅，或沒什麼表情的？因為我認為這個狀態下的「我」是相對真實的。人不可能每一刻都在笑，不笑或沒什麼表情的狀態下我感覺是較為永恆及 timeless 的。這亦是我創作作品時的取向。