Stefan Irvine's photobook, “Abandoned Villages of Hong Kong”, is an invitation to explore the forgotten corners of this vibrant city, and to discover the haunting beauty that lies hidden within its parks and islands.

For centuries before the colonial era, Hong Kong’s population dwelled in isolated villages, subsisting mainly on farming or fishing. When better opportunities arose during the 1960s, many villagers found work in restaurants overseas or in the urban factories of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, their countryside houses - sometimes entire villages - were simply abandoned and left to be reclaimed by nature. Stefan’s photographs breathe new life into the crumbling facades and overgrown relics, allowing readers to witness the enduring charm of these abandoned homes.

With its documentary approach, this collection of photographs features many of Hong Kong’s most isolated settlements and is a testament to Stefan’s passion for capturing the essence of disappearing places. His careful research and deep appreciation for the subject shine through in every carefully composed image, unveiling the hidden narratives of structures frozen in time.

A foreword by Douglas Young sheds light on the architectural and societal context of the photographs. Two further essays include some touching and highly personal histories by erstwhile village residents, with heart-warming recollections of village life experienced decades ago.

“Abandoned Villages of Hong Kong” can be seen as a tribute to the resilience of the Hong Kong people, but also the impermanence of our existence. Such photographs serve as a poignant reminder of both the transient nature of life, and the indelible mark left by those who came before us.

Stefan Irvine 的攝影集《瓦落叢生》，誠邀您一同探索這座充滿活力的城市那些被遺忘的角落，並從中發現隱藏於郊外與島嶼當中的難忘絕景。

在殖民時代前的數個世紀裡，主要以農業或漁業為生的香港人，普遍居住於偏僻的村莊。到六十年代時期，更多更好的就業機會出現，許多村民於海外的餐廳或香港的城市工廠找到工作，因此他們直接捨棄本來居住的鄉村房屋－甚至遺棄整個村落，任由它們回歸大自然。Stefan 的作品為這些搖搖欲墜的外牆和雜草叢生的遺跡注入新生命，讓觀眾一睹這些荒廢房屋那歷久不衰的魅力。

Stefan 憑著對於捕捉廢墟的熱情，採用紀實手法去記錄了香港許多偏遠且已消失的定居點。他對於這主題的仔細研究和深度的理解，無一不體現於每幀精心構圖的影像中，更加揭示出當中被時間凍結了的隱藏故事。

G.O.D.（住好啲）創辦人 楊志超 為本著作所撰寫的序言，闡明了這些影像作品的建築和社會背景。另外兩篇文章則邀來昔日的村民，講述感人且高度個人化的歷史故事，以及對數十年前鄉村生活的溫馨回憶。

《瓦落叢生》是向香港人堅忍不拔的精神致敬，亦剖析著關於「存在」的無常。 這些影像深深的提醒著我們萬物轉瞬即逝，同時亦揭示出前人於歷史所烙下的印記。

About the Artist:

Born in London in 1976, Stefan Irvine has been based in Hong Kong since 2002. With a background in photojournalism and commercial photography, the last few years have seen him focus on fine art photography projects. Stefan's photographs have been exhibited in New York, London and Hong Kong, as well as appearing in publications globally including The New York Times, National Geographic, Forbes, Rolling Stone, and The Wall Street Journal. He is the winner of the Independent on Sunday/Oxfam Photojournalist Award and was awarded 1st Place in the Architecture/Other category of the International Photography Awards 2020.

關於藝術家:

Stefan Irvine 1976 年出生於倫敦，自 ​​2002 年起定居香港，是一位屢獲殊榮的英國攝影師。他擁有新聞攝影和商業攝影背景，過去幾年專注於藝術攝影計畫。他的作品在多個報刊、雜誌上發表刊登，包括 《紐約時報》、《CNN》、《國家地理雜誌》、《福布斯》、《衛報》和《南華早報》等；更於2020年獲得了International Photography Awards (IPA)的第一名；其攝影作品亦曾在紐約、香港和倫敦展出。