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Nga Ling CHEUNG - Alike…

Project StatementBiography

Ever since I was born, my mother has never been photographed on her own. I am always in a picture with her. How much I miss those happy times! As my mother grows older, she has become camera shy. We will only be in the same picture together on special occa

My mother visited her cousin’s new home in 1993 in the hope of sharing his good fortune (moving into a new house is considered to be auspicious), whereas I see a bed as a space that allows me to escape from the reality.

When I was young my family and I used to dine out at Chinese restaurants. My father loved the food and the bustling atmosphere in these places. Nowadays I prefer going to a cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style diners), where I can finish a meal quickly and avoi

Tourists are expected to snap away at a scenic spot, aren’t they? Otherwise their photos wouldn’t be called ‘tourist photos’!

My mother posing in front of the Tsimshatsui clock tower more than 20 years ago. I had my only picture taken at the same spot earlier this year. There isn’t much of a difference between the two photos; the weather looks fine in both. When I’m nervous m

When my mother was young she spent most of her salary on household expenses. Her life was taken up by the demands of her family and her work. She used to say to me: ‘Study hard! Don’t go the wrong way like me!’ Since I left school, I have come to rea

The photo with my mother in it seems to have taken in Japan. But I know for a fact that my mother had never gone abroad when she was young. The photo was taken in mainland China. I grew up in Sheung Shui. Whenever I went to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon,

My mother and her friends had pictures taken against an idyllic backdrop at a photo studio, which I believe was a representation of what they longed for at that point of their lives. As for me, I am now living in a city dotted with man-made greenery. Hav

Ever since I was born, my mother has never been photographed on her own. I am always in a picture with her. How much I miss those happy times! As my mother grows older, she has become camera shy. We will only be in the same picture together on special occa

When I was young my family and I used to dine out at Chinese restaurants. My father loved the food and the bustling atmosphere in these places. Nowadays I prefer going to a cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style diners), where I can finish a meal quickly and avoi

My mother visited her cousin’s new home in 1993 in the hope of sharing his good fortune (moving into a new house is considered to be auspicious), whereas I see a bed as a space that allows me to escape from the reality.

Tourists are expected to snap away at a scenic spot, aren’t they? Otherwise their photos wouldn’t be called ‘tourist photos’!

My mother posing in front of the Tsimshatsui clock tower more than 20 years ago. I had my only picture taken at the same spot earlier this year. There isn’t much of a difference between the two photos; the weather looks fine in both. When I’m nervous m

The photo with my mother in it seems to have taken in Japan. But I know for a fact that my mother had never gone abroad when she was young. The photo was taken in mainland China. I grew up in Sheung Shui. Whenever I went to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon,

When my mother was young she spent most of her salary on household expenses. Her life was taken up by the demands of her family and her work. She used to say to me: ‘Study hard! Don’t go the wrong way like me!’ Since I left school, I have come to rea

My mother and her friends had pictures taken against an idyllic backdrop at a photo studio, which I believe was a representation of what they longed for at that point of their lives. As for me, I am now living in a city dotted with man-made greenery. Hav

Ever since I was born, my mother has never been photographed on her own. I am always in a picture with her. How much I miss those happy times! As my mother grows older, she has become camera shy. We will only be in the same picture together on special occa

When I was young my family and I used to dine out at Chinese restaurants. My father loved the food and the bustling atmosphere in these places. Nowadays I prefer going to a cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style diners), where I can finish a meal quickly and avoi

My mother visited her cousin’s new home in 1993 in the hope of sharing his good fortune (moving into a new house is considered to be auspicious), whereas I see a bed as a space that allows me to escape from the reality.

Tourists are expected to snap away at a scenic spot, aren’t they? Otherwise their photos wouldn’t be called ‘tourist photos’!

My mother posing in front of the Tsimshatsui clock tower more than 20 years ago. I had my only picture taken at the same spot earlier this year. There isn’t much of a difference between the two photos; the weather looks fine in both. When I’m nervous m

The photo with my mother in it seems to have taken in Japan. But I know for a fact that my mother had never gone abroad when she was young. The photo was taken in mainland China. I grew up in Sheung Shui. Whenever I went to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon,

When my mother was young she spent most of her salary on household expenses. Her life was taken up by the demands of her family and her work. She used to say to me: ‘Study hard! Don’t go the wrong way like me!’ Since I left school, I have come to rea

My mother and her friends had pictures taken against an idyllic backdrop at a photo studio, which I believe was a representation of what they longed for at that point of their lives. As for me, I am now living in a city dotted with man-made greenery. Hav

Nga Ling CHEUNG
Biography

Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts), Hong Kong Baptist University

Nga Ling CHEUNG
Project Statement

Alike…

For as long as I can remember, my mother’s friends have been telling me how much I look like her. As my mother’s ‘mini-me’, I want to be connected with her youth through being photographed in the clothes she used to wear, and in the same places she once went to.

Ever since I was born, my mother has never been photographed on her own. I am always in a picture with her. How much I miss those happy times! As my mother grows older, she has become camera shy. We will only be in the same picture together on special occasions, and just a few photos are taken each time.
When I was young my family and I used to dine out at Chinese restaurants. My father loved the food and the bustling atmosphere in these places. Nowadays I prefer going to a cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style diners), where I can finish a meal quickly and avoid the noise typical of a Chinese restaurant in which diners chit-chat at the top of their voice.
My mother visited her cousin’s new home in 1993 in the hope of sharing his good fortune (moving into a new house is considered to be auspicious), whereas I see a bed as a space that allows me to escape from the reality.
Tourists are expected to snap away at a scenic spot, aren’t they? Otherwise their photos wouldn’t be called ‘tourist photos’!
My mother posing in front of the Tsimshatsui clock tower more than 20 years ago. I had my only picture taken at the same spot earlier this year. There isn’t much of a difference between the two photos; the weather looks fine in both. When I’m nervous my first reaction is to pose in a way reminiscent of the style typical in the 1980s and 1990s. I would also have my eyes closed until the photo’s been taken. I wonder if my mother had the same thoughts as I did?
The photo with my mother in it seems to have taken in Japan. But I know for a fact that my mother had never gone abroad when she was young. The photo was taken in mainland China. I grew up in Sheung Shui. Whenever I went to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, I felt like a small-village girl in the big city. I had been to the Victoria Harbour but it was the first time I had a photo taken here.
When my mother was young she spent most of her salary on household expenses. Her life was taken up by the demands of her family and her work. She used to say to me: ‘Study hard! Don’t go the wrong way like me!’ Since I left school, I have come to realise that life is full of challenges. There often doesn’t seem to be a way out. All you can do is to put on a brave face and move on. In retrospect, a simple life like my mother’s doesn’t seem too bad after all.
My mother and her friends had pictures taken against an idyllic backdrop at a photo studio, which I believe was a representation of what they longed for at that point of their lives. As for me, I am now living in a city dotted with man-made greenery. Have I fulfilled my mother’s dream in one way or another?

Ever since I was born, my mother has never been photographed on her own. I am always in a picture with her. How much I miss those happy times! As my mother grows older, she has become camera shy. We will only be in the same picture together on special occasions, and just a few photos are taken each time.

2018

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