In 2025, photographer Chan Dick will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his series, CEMENT-ERY. This collection not only reflects his thoughts on the redevelopment of Yue Man Square in Kwun Tong, the community where he grew up, but also preserves the memories of his mother, who passed away earlier this year.

In this special moment, the Hong Kong photography platform PhotogStory curated a small exhibition titled “CEMENT-ERY” for Chan Dick, showcasing this series of photos that combine wall surfaces with Hong Kong’s urban landscapes for the first time. Familiar landscapes emerge through the remaining wall marks like reflections, encouraging viewers to contemplate the delicate relationship between urban redevelopment and preservation.

In 2015, as the Kwun Tong Town Centre Redevelopment Project progressed rapidly, Chan Dick returned to Yue Man Square on a quiet afternoon. He wandered back into the familiar community and, out of curiosity, stepped into Yue Wah Mansion, which was already empty and desolate. Strolling through the staircase, the wires that once cluttered the corners had been removed, but their traces were still clearly visible. At that moment of inspiration, the twisted wire marks reminded him of the mountains’ outline and inexplicably brought to mind the scenery of the Tsing Ma Bridge.

As he carefully explored the walls, he noticed wave-like indentations on another wall that resembled the waves of ukiyo-e, matching the view from Hung Hom towards Central. That day, the photographer took seven photographs, some depicting clouds resembling cotton candy, while others look like long-exposure star trails. When I interviewed Chan Dick years ago,  I was deeply captivated by this series of works and amazed that he could envision so many landscapes on mottled walls through his extraordinary imagination. However, these photos, created concurrently with his iconic work “Chai Wan Fire Station,” had never been exhibited before.

Returning to Yue Man Square a decade later, Chan Dick saw that Yue Wah Mansion had been demolished, leaving behind a pile of black rubble mixed with debris. Imagining these were the traces left behind by the building, he picked up stones and held them in his hand. They were heavy and dark, stirring a wave of nostalgia and mixed emotions within him. It is time to sort through these thoughts intertwined with memories and feelings of familial affection. 

Chan Dick — CEMENT-ERY

Date: March 15 – April 13, 2025

Time: 11am-1pm, 2pm-6pm  (Tuesday to Sunday) 

Venue: Lumenvisum LUMOS Mini Gallery, L2-2,  JCCAC, 30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei

About Chan Dick

Chan Dick studied graphic design and first became involved in photography when given his graduation assignment. As a still-life and architectural photographer, he is devoted to creating personal works, often touching on social issues and everyday life discoveries. 

While fascinated by simple lines and minimalistic compositions, Chan’s works emphasize the ambiguous attraction between reality and illusion. His iconic series “Chai Wan Fire Station” earned him first prizes respectively at the Tokyo International Foto Awards and the Hong Kong Photo Book Awards. This series was exhibited in Japan and the Netherlands and collected by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum and Japan’s Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography Nara City.

Chan also collaborated with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong by photographing their collection of human specimens. He produced an aesthetic set of images called “The Trek,” which challenges the general public’s shared perception of the topic. The work was published as a photo book and won a Gold Prize at the Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA).

About PhotogStory 

Hong Kong-based Photography platform PhotogStory was founded by photography writer and curator LAU Tung-Pui. The platform introduces local & international photographers’ artwork, the history behind classic images, and photo books. 

PhotoStory’s curated exhibitions include Hidden Town at Wure Area (Kowloon Bay), Chun Wai’s solo exhibition at Kubrick (Yau Mai Tei), Mak Fung‘s solo exhibition at EastPro Gallery (Causeway Bay) and co-curated group exhibitions at Boogie Woogie Photography (Wong Chuk Hang) and at Fine Art Asia 2024.

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