對於某地之記憶，往往在即將消逝之際最動容。

有逾200年歷史的牛池灣鄉是「九龍十三鄉」之一，是香港市區少數僅存的村落，記錄過幾代人的耕作歲月與鄰里時光。從牛池灣鄉牌坊穿過舊街市，一巷之隔的牛池灣村終究擋不住城市發展的步履，迎來它的最後歲月。踏入牛池灣村，映入眼簾的是錯落有致的鐵皮屋，昔日新龍城茶樓騰騰的蒸氣早已散去，當煙火氣漸漸淡出，我們該如何向這片土地道別？

香港攝影師 Jason Lau 擅於以冷靜而溫柔的視角，記錄生活的點點滴滴，從海外生活十多年回港後，他常帶著相機走入大街小巷與公共屋邨，而牛池灣村是最讓他念念不忘的地方。他幾度前來，穿梭於狹窄巷弄間，聚焦那些容易被忽略的微小角落：

有半開半掩、再也等不到來信的白鐵信箱；有昔日茶客絡繹不絕、如今卻人走茶涼的空凳；也有落葉堆積、恍如水墨畫般虛實相生的破敗光影。這些畫面宛如一座座靜默的廢墟，訴說著繁華落盡後的孤寂。攝影師以精確的構圖，將這份殘缺之美安靜地呈現出來。

展覽《浮光鉑影·牛池灣》(Ngau Chi Wan: Elegy in Platinum) 展出多幅Jason拍攝的作品，他選擇以十九世紀的古典工藝「鉑鈀印相」（Platinum-Palladium Print），將這些即將消逝的景象定格。在沉穩的黑白階調與歷史的重量之間，展開一場關於時間與回憶的對話。

如果牛池灣村的命運是「消逝」，那麼鉑鈀印相的本質則是「留存」。不同於現代數碼相片，這種繁複且珍貴的古典攝印相手法，將鉑鈀金屬微粒直接沉澱於手工紙的纖維深處，鉑與鈀具有極高化學穩定性與抗氧化能力，能使影像經歷數百年而不褪色。

更迷人的是它的質感，從深邃的暗位到明亮的光線，灰階過渡自然而細緻。這種工藝與質地，與牛池灣村的悠久歷史形成對照：相片中那些即將被拆卸的鐵皮與木石，經由金屬微粒重新呈現，獲得超越時間的生命力。

展覽前夕再度重遊舊地，別是一般滋味在心頭。寮屋村落與附近新建的住宅形成鮮明對比；夜幕降臨，對面的牛池灣舊街市依舊燈火通明，大排檔食人頭湧湧 ，而牛池灣村卻幾乎一片漆黑，僅有數戶人口仍在留守，或許再臨此地時，這裡已是新簇簇的樓房。

脆弱而即將消失的村落，被定格在沉穩而長久的相片中，《浮光鉑影：牛池灣》不只是一場攝影展，也是攝影師贈與牛池灣村的挽歌。

《浮光鉑影：牛池灣》
日期：2026年9月12日至10月3日
時間：星期三至六2-7pm（預約參觀 @devedo.hk ）
地點：黃竹坑業勤街33號金來工業大廈二座6J室·顯影堂

藝術家自述：

從外國生活讀書十多年後再回到成長之地生活，最大的不同是，我學會從不同角度去觀看這座城市。因為攝影，我從不一樣的視角去尋找這地方的美。

一年前剛回港，完全不知道自己的未來發展會是如何。在機緣巧合之下，重拾放下幾年的相機，透過觀景器去觀看香港。穿梭於香港的大街小巷，也走過不同的公共屋邨，最令我印象深刻的，就是位於牛池灣及茶果嶺的寮屋村。

從彩虹地鐵站出口走出來，第一眼就看見牛池灣村入口的牌坊，拍下第一張照片，走過舊式街市，迎面而來就是牛池灣村。看到眼前景象，腦海中第一個反應是，原來我並非很熟悉這個地方。因為直到當刻，我才真正知道這寮屋村的存在。

繼續走過村內小巷，一路拍下不同照片，腦海中不停地想，我是否來得太遲？更令我驚訝的是，這個正在清拆的地方，原來還有人在這裡繼續生活。之後，我來來回回這邊好幾次，最後在另一個機緣巧合之下，促成這次個展。

展覽選擇鈀鉑金印相呈現作品，是因為我在美國修讀攝影時，對古典印相工藝印象深刻，鉑鈀金 (Platinum and Palladium print) 極其細膩、微妙且寬廣的黑白灰階層次及其極高穩定性，比傳統黑房銀鹽更長的收藏壽命，從此令我深深迷上，也是我回港後成立工作室「紙語 Charta Loquens」的契機，希望推廣及承傳這歷史悠久的古典攝影工藝。

Jason Lau Solo Exhibition at DEVEDO
Ngau Chi Wan: Elegy in Platinum

The texture of memory is often most poignant when it is on the verge of vanishing.

With over two centuries of history, Ngau Chi Wan is one of the oldest remaining villages in urban Hong Kong—a testament to generations of agricultural life and close-knit community warmth. Just a lane away from the old market beyond the Ngau Chi Wan Village archway, the village is facing its final days. Stepping inside, visitors are greeted by rows of tin-roofed houses; the steamers of the once-bustling Sun Lung Shing Tea House are long gone. As the hustle and bustle fades, how do we say farewell?

Hong Kong photographer Jason Lau excels at capturing the minutiae of everyday life through a calm, gentle lens. After spending more than a decade abroad, Lau returned to Hong Kong last year, and he frequently photographs the streets, alleys, and public housing estates. Among these locations, Ngau Chi Wan Village left the deepest impression. 

Wandering through its narrow alleyways, he focused his lens on the subtle details that easily pass unnoticed: half-open tin mailboxes that no longer receive mail, deserted benches once filled with lively chatter, and dilapidated corners strewn with fallen leaves—creating scenes of ethereal beauty reminiscent of traditional ink paintings. Like silent ruins, these images reflect the solitude that lingers after prosperity fades. Through precise composition, Jason captures the quiet beauty of imperfection.

His first solo exhibition in Hong Kong, Ngau Chi Wan: Elegy in Platinum, showcases these photographs and preserves disappearing memories through platinum-palladium printing. Moving between black-and-white tonal transitions and the weight of history, these images open a dialogue on time, memory, and forgetting.

Invented in the 19th century, platinum-palladium printing is a complex classical photographic process. Unlike modern silver-gelatin or inkjet prints—where the image rests on a surface emulsion or coating—a platinum-palladium print chemically binds noble metal particles directly into the paper’s cellulose fibers. It offers exceptional chemical stability and resistance to oxidation, these images can endure for centuries. Beyond their permanence, they possess a distinct texture, rendering rich shadows and subtle grayscale transitions with remarkable depth and softness.

Revisiting Ngau Chi Wan Village evokes a striking contrast. The quiet squatter area stands in sharp relief against the modern high-rises nearby. As night falls, the Ngau Chi Wan Old Wet Market across the street remains brightly lit and bustling with diners at Dai Pai Dong. In contrast, the village itself lies mostly in darkness, home to only a few remaining households before new residential buildings replace it.

Ngau Chi Wan: Elegy in Platinum is more than a photography exhibition; it is an elegy for a disappearing urban village. Though light shifts and structures crumble, these memories imprinted deep within platinum print will endure.

Exhibition Details
Date:  Sept 12 – Oct 3, 2026
Time: 2–7 PM (Wednesday–Saturday, by Appointment)
Venue: DEVEDO, 6J, Block 2 Kingley Industrial Building,
33 Yip Kan Street, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong