Mike and Trevor WONG

When I read the news in June 2016 that Trevor WONG will close down his Write Price Supermarket after 35 years in business, I decided to travel, with his permission, to Wairoa of Hawke’s Bay to visit him. After retirement, he would spend time enjoying water sports and motor biking. To connect his career with his retirement, I photographed his portrait on his treasured motor bike inside the supermarket with the half-empty shelves. All goods were to go in another few days and the hustle and bustle dynamic of the supermarket would linger on.

Finding an inherited object for me posed a challenge to Trevor. He introduced me to his cousin, Mike WONG in Napier, who has a memorable plaque of the family tree. It lists the family members from the 19th to 22nd generations with the family dictum: “To withstand hardship and pass on our wisdom [to the next generations] one must be faithful to the old, be upright, and expand the good name of the ancestors who have valued good character”.

Mike WONG: “The Wong family memorial plaque is written in classical Chinese. It was written in 1930 when 23rd generation, James Chung Kwong (Truelight, 松光) WONG took his sons David, Peter and Henry back to China to receive a Chinese education. The original of this plaque and the spirits of the ancestors were brought back to New Zealand in 1998 after the remains of all the ancestors were re-interred in a family plot in the ancestral village of Gwah Leng [瓜嶺村] on the outskirts of Guangzhou, China.”

I took both photographs with the ‘Truelight’ illuminating the central axis (the text on the plaque and the bike’s headlight) in a theatrical style. For the Chinese, the family dictum is ‘Truelight’ that will shed light to the future generations.

King Tong HO

2016

 Mike and Trevor WONG

当我从二零一六年六月的新闻报导中, 知道 Trevor WONG将会把他经营了三十五年的 Write Price 超级市场结业时, 我决定在得到他的应允后, 往 Wairoa of Hawke's Bay 探访他。退休之后, 他计划多作水上运动和骑电单车, 以享受人生。为了连系他的事业和退休生活, 我请他坐在心爱的电单车上，在那货架半空的超市内拍摄肖像。所有的货品将在数天内售清, 但店内昔日繁嚣流动的情景将绵绵不绝地传颂下去。

要找由祖辈留下的物品, Trevo r感到有点难处, 于是他介绍住在 Napier 的表兄弟 Mike WONG 给我认识。他保留有很值得留念的家谱牌匾, 上面列写了由十九代至二十二代的家庭成员和家族格言：举目便思高曾祖考功德、学古人尝胆卧薪聚教训; 守先圣立身行道扬名显亲、存心当为子孙曾元孝贤。

Mike WONG 告诉我：黄氏家谱牌匾写于一九三零年代、即家族的第二十三代。James WONG Chung Kwong "Truelight" 带他的儿子们 David, Peter 和 Henry 回中国接受教育, 而在所有先人遗骸、于广州外郊瓜岭村的家族墓地重新安葬后, 于一九九八年, 他连同祖先的精神、把牌匾带回纽西兰。

拍摄这两张照片, 我以 "Truelight" 照亮着照片的中轴“牌匾上的文字和电单车头灯”。华人有这信念：家族格言是 "Truelight", 指引着他们的后代。

何经棠

2016

Mike and Trevor WONG

當我從二零一六年六月的新聞報導中，知道Trevor WONG將會把他經營了三十五年的Write Price超級市場結業時，我決定在得到他的應允後，往Wairoa of Hawke's Bay探訪他。退休之後，他計劃多作水上運動和騎電單車，以享受人生。為了連系他的事業和退休生活，我請他坐在心愛的電單車上，在那貨架半空的超市內拍攝肖像。所有的貨品將在數天內售清，但店內昔日繁囂流動的情景將綿綿不絕地傳頌下去。

要找由祖輩留下的物品, Trevor 感到有點難處, 於是他介紹住在 Napier 的表兄弟 Mike WONG 给我認識。他保留有很值得留念的家譜牌匾, 上面列寫了由十九代至二十二代的家庭成員和家族格言：舉目便思高曾祖考功德、學古人嘗膽臥薪聚教訓；守先聖立身行道揚名顯親、存心當為子孫曾元孝賢。

Mike WONG 告訴我：黃氏家譜牌匾寫於一九三零年代、即家族的第二十三代。James WONG Chung Kwong "Truelight" 帶他的兒子們 David, Peter 和 Henry 回中國接受教育, 而在所有先人遺骸、於廣州外郊瓜嶺村的家族墓地重新安葬後, 於一九九八年, 他連同祖先的精神、把牌匾帶回紐西蘭。

拍攝這兩張照片, 我以 "Truelight" 照亮著照片的中軸「牌匾上的文字和電單車頭燈」。華人有這信念：家族格言是 "Truelight", 指引著他們的後代。

何經棠

2016