Lily LIU

In my first visit to Lily LIU in Nelson, she greeted me with her homemade Chinese snack that she learnt from her mother when young. Mixing Chinese and Western ingredients was her mother’s creative touch that offers a more diverse taste and texture to the snack.

Initially she declined politely to be photographed but she was very enthusiastic and helped me out to invite her friends to participate instead. In a second visit to her, I was able to convince her to participate for the reason that ordinary families and individuals are the basis of a society, and she is a part of history.

Instinctively, I photographed her home-made snacks on top of a Chinese embroidery artefact that was gifted by her father when her family moved in to their current home. With the pair of birds cherishing and the flooding in sunlight, the snacks are simply irresistible.  In the photograph that I took of her, she gazed light-heartedly at her own portrait painted by her daughter. In the paired-up photograph, she is an archetypal Chinese traditional housewife — self-effacing, private and accommodating, who enjoys a vibrant social life with her neighbourhood.

King Tong HO

2015

Lily LIU

第一次与 Lily LIU 在她 Nelson 的家会面, 她以自家制造的中式小食款待我。小食的制法是她年青时跟母亲学会的, 她母亲混合中、西式的材料, 创作出更多样的变化和口味。

起初她礼貌地拒绝了我替她拍肖像, 但热情地帮助我邀请朋友参与。第二次探访她时, 我以每个普通家庭和个人就是社会的构成, 而她也是历史的一部份, 这理由打动了她而应允拍摄。

直觉地我拍摄她的自制食品, 放在一张刺绣画上, 这是父亲在她迁入此住处时送给她的。刺绣的一对小鸟沐浴在光线中, 而食物令人垂涎。我替她拍的照片, 是她欢欣地凝望着她女儿替她画的肖像。两张照片显示出她典型华裔家庭主妇的个性—低调、谦虚、包容而又享受与邻里充满活力的社交生活。

何经棠

2015

Lily LIU

第一次與 Lily LIU 在她 Nelson 的家會面，她以自家製造的中式小食款待我。小食的製法是她年青時跟母親學會的, 她母親混合中、西式的材料, 創作出更多樣的變化和口味。

起初她禮貌地拒絕了我替她拍肖像，但熱情地幫助我邀請朋友參與。第二次探訪她時，我以每個普通家庭和個人就是社會的構成, 而她也是歷史的一部份, 這理由打動了她而應允拍攝。

直覺地我拍攝她的自製食品, 放在一張刺繡畫上, 這是父親在她遷入此住處時送給她的。刺繡的一對小鳥沐浴在光線中, 而食物令人垂涎。我替她拍的照片, 是她歡欣地凝望著她女兒替她畫的肖像。兩張照片顯示出她典型華裔家庭主婦的個性—低調、謙虛、包容而又享受與鄰里充滿活力的社交生活。

何經棠

2015