Wing Ka Ho | Jimmi

Wing Ka Ho Jimmi (b. 1993) is a photographer based in Hong Kong and the UK. His works document historical landscapes and portraits in the community, investigating the political issues and social changes. His latest project, 'So close and yet so far away' documents Hong Kong society through diverse personal identities and geographic locations. Utilizing the classical genres of portrait and landscape, he identifies and questions the identity crisis associated with the socio-political situation in Hong Kong. His work has been widely exhibited and featured in such publications as The Guardian, Lensculture, KG+ Kyotographie, fresheyes and Aperture Portfolio Prize.

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So close and yet so far away (2020-ongoing)

‘So close and yet so far away’ originates from the contemplation of self-identity exploring the relationship between history and identity. It is a series of conversations among Hong Kong people about the history and future of the city and the social-political environment.

By capturing the tranquil moments in daily life, my photography explores the Hong Kong border and emigration of Hong Kong people to the United Kingdom. I rely on intuition and devote myself to creating a poetic language of photography, using nature's growth and migration as the metaphor. I attempt to record the finiteness of Hong Kong people and the calmness that arises in the environment.

‘So close and yet so far away’ consists of two chapters. The first chapter ‘So Close and yet’ mainly tells about the border and politics leftover from the undeniable Sino-British history, which became the inseparable relationship between the two cities. I tried to capture the portrayal and metaphors of daily life. The image is in a peaceful state, but hidden behind Hong Kong society, it is experiencing a complex tension and political environment.

History creates borders. In this case, the border symbolises the uniqueness of Hong Kong for its identity. Two decades after the Handover, this city is shrouded in a depressive atmosphere while the anxiety among its citizens is escalating. The prospect of large-scale immigration from Hong Kong reminds me of those years before the Handover. In 1985, Britain and China signed the 1997 Handover Agreement returning Hong Kong to China. In these past few years, there has been a trend that Hong Kongers are leaving their city. History is repeating. The historical relation between Hong Kong and the United Kingdom has now ignited changes in this community.

The second chapter ‘So far away’, investigates the Hong Kong society based on its changes in the course of history, exploring the identities and memories of Hong Kong new immigrants in the UK, and conveying the emotions of Hong Kongers who are trying to find their way to a new home.

Dead tree beside Hong Kong wetland, 2020

Mr. Pan - RC plane player, 2020

The river, 2020 — Current skyline of Shenzhen from distance.

Jockey and his horse, 2020

A portrait of Clam digging woman, 2020

Father and son, 2020 — This stone statues locate at the entrance of Ho Sheung Heung, a village nearby the border between Hong Kong and China, show the lifestyle of former residents.

River boundary line, 2020 — Sandy Ridge Cemetery is specially set up by the Hong Kong government for unclaimed corpses. All tombstones are unnamed and only numbered. The opposite side is Lo Wu Port, which is the largest inland port in China, hundreds of new immigrants arrive in Hong Kong from the border every day.