"Celebration" showcases CityU community's creativity

More than 200 students and staff from different faculties and schools at City

University of Hong Kong took part in the “Celebration Photo Showcase” competition.

The competition demonstrated CityU's commitment to encouraging its campus community to develop its artistic and creative talents within a broad-based curriculum, said Mr Julian Lee, Assistant Professor in CityU’s School of Creative Media (SCM) and a well-known photographer, writer and film-maker.

The competition judges, including Mr Lee, were Professor Mayching Kao, former Chair Professor, Department of Fine Arts, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Mr Lester Lee, a celebrated advertising photographer; and Mr Alan Tat Ming Yu, Assistant Professor, School of Design, Polytechnic University of Hong Kong.

“The theme of the competition is ‘Celebration’, a concept that we asked entrants to interpret loosely,” Mr Lee said.

The subsequent entries reveal a fascinating insight into students’ perceptions, interpretations, values, and beliefs.

Some of the issues include thoughts on rebellion, identity, family relations and contemporary culture and society. These ideas are brought to prominence through extensive exploitation of photographic genres, such as documentary, still life, portrait, experimental, and fashion photography, and by employing a variety of photographic techniques.

“The competition and exhibition demonstrates the high level of creativity found among CityU students and staff,” Mr Lee said.

The winning entry was a series of three shots taken by Regina Au Wai-yin, a Year 2 SCM student, entitled “Puppet”. This ironic take on the theme of 'celebration' shows women posed like a puppet, the strings replaced by a sash, and lifeless despite her fashion accessories.

“I wanted to show how women are not just controlled by men but by everything in

society, like puppets,” she said.

Mr Lester Lee, who has worked for many of the major advertising agencies world-wide, said he was impressed by the high standard of the photographs.

"There's some real talent here and the entrants really know how to create style and atmosphere," he said.

Professor James Moy, Dean of SCM, was given the task of awarding the SCM Deans' Prize to the photograph he would most likely buy.

"I chose Katy Wan's picture because it was very surreal, lively and fun," he said.

All the winning photographs and approximately 80 of the short-listed entries from the competition will be displayed at the CityU Gallery from 10 to 30 November, 10am to 7pm.  

 List of winners

1st Prize: Regina Au Wai-yin, "Puppet".

2nd Prize: Vanese Ng Wai-ni, "Dolls".

3rd Prize: Jasmine Chan Siu-yun, "Swimming pools".

SCM Dean's Prize: Katy Wan, "Escape from water ghost".

There were eight merit awards.