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In April and May, 2019 I photographed in the backstreets and alleyways of Hong Kong and Kowloon, China. Mostly in Kowloon. Kowloon is the gritty sibling of flashier Hong Kong although Hong Kong has its share of grit. It isn’t hard to be drawn to these alleys. Walking down a street amazed by the sights and sounds and suddenly there is the opening to an alleyway. It’s dark and dirty and scary. Enter in and you are lost in the backside of the city. This is where the restaurants clean their dishes and their fish. This is where stores unpack their goods and where the recycling ladies gather up the cardboard and styrofoam. This is where the workers squat for their smoke break or nod off between shifts. This is where the poor and homeless find shelter. Step carefully. Look up to the old apartments hanging over you. Peer into doorways leading to other doorways. Don’t trip over the old man sleeping in the corner. You have left the busy streets behind and feel like time has stopped. How old are these walls? What lives and stories are hidden behind these locked doors and barred windows? Water seeps from old pipes. Exhaust fans blow out the heat and the smell of cooking from the restaurants. Chinese music comes through open windows above. And you are as much an oddity as everything that you are marveling at. Workers smile and nod at you and take time to watch as you photograph the laundry hanging above doorways, the plants sprouting from cracks in the walls, the mysterious Chinese calligraphy fading into moss covered walls. A cook stirring a giant wok over an open flame looks up at you for a moment. No fear. People go about their business and let you go about yours. One alley leads to another and another sometimes taking you out into the bright light of the main street. Look around. Change direction. Find another entrance and you are lost again…
Special thanks to Kitty Mok for her linguistic and logistical support without which I would be lost in the alleyways to this day...
APARTMENTS, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
ALLEYWAY, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
METAL WORKSHOP, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
STAIRWELL, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
NEWS STALL, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
VINTAGE BANNER, ALLEYWAY, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
WALL ABSTRACT, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, YEUN LONG DISTRICT, KOWLOON
RESTAURANT BACKDOOR, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, SHAM SHI PO DISTRICT, KOWLOON
APARTMENTS, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
RECYCLING WORKER, YEUN LONG DISTRICT, KOWLOON
BAMBOO AND NETTING, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
RESELLERS, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
DOORWAY, YEUN LONG DISTRICT, KOWLOON
TIME OUT, ALLEYWAY, SHAM SHI PO, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
BACKDOOR, RESTAURANT KITCHEN, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, KOWLOON CITY DISTRICT, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
OLD STYLE APARTMENT, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
ALLEY, SAI YING PUN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
WORKERS AT REST, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
MASSAGE PARLOUR, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
RECYCLING DEPOT, SHEK KEK WAN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
BARBER SHOP, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
WORKERS, YUEN LONG DISTRICT, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
BAMBOO AND METAL GRATE, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
WALL ART, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
OLD STYLE APARTMENTS, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
CENTRAL FREEWAY, KOWLOON
ALLEYWAYS, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
WORKER, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
BARBED WIRE AND ALLEY WALL, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
DOORWAY, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
BUTCHER SHOP, SHAM SHI PO DISTRICT, KOWLOON
MOTORSCOOTER, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
CHILDRENS TOYS, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
RORSCHACH TEST, ALLEY WALL, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
OLD STYLE APARTMENTS, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
ALLEYWAY, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
RECYCLING DEPOT, SHAM SHI PO DISTRICT, HONG KONG
RESTAURANT BACKDOOR, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
AUTO SHOP, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
NIGHTCLUB, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
HOMELESS MAN, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
BROOM, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
WALL ART, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
OLD SIGN, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
ALLEY WORKER, SHAM SHI PO DISTRICT, KOWLOON
RESTAURANT BACKALLEY, SHAM SHI PO, KOWLOON
SECOND HAND MARKET, SHAM SHI PO DISTRICT, KOWLOON
RECYCLING, SHAM SHI PO DISTRICT, KOWLOON
WALLFLOWER, SHAM SHI PO DISTRICT, KOWLOON
APARTMENT BACKDOOR, SHAM SHI PO, KOWLOON
MAILBOXES, SHAM SHI PO DISTRICT, KOWLOON
ALLEYWALL, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
WALL ART, SAI YING PUN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
OLD STYLE APARTMENTS, SAI YING PUN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
OLD STYLE APARTMENTS, SAI YING PUN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
ALLEY CLEANER, SAI YING PUN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
REPAIR SHOP, SAI YING PUN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
GREEN DOOR, SHEK KEI PUN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
BACK ALLEY, SHEK KEI PUN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
WINDOW, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
OLD MOTORSCOOTER, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
DOORWAY, YUEN LONG DISTRICT, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, YUEN LONG DISTRICT, KOWLOON
OLD STYLE APARTMENTS, SHEK KEK WAN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
ALLEYWAY, SAI YING PUN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
METAL WORKSHOP, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
RECYCLING WORKER, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
BLUE FAN, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
WALL ART, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
WARNING, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
FAN AND PLANT, YUEN LONG DISTRICT, KOWLOON
STRAW HATS, YUEN LONG DISTRICT, KOWLOON
ALLEY GREENERY, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
STEPS, SAI YING PUN DISTRICT, HONG KONG
RESTAURANT SUPPLIES, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
OLD STYLE APARTMENTS, SHANGHAI STREET, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
RECYCLING, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
STREET MERCHANT, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
RECYCLING DEPOT, TAI KOK TSUI, KOWLOON
RESTAURANT, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, SHAN SHI PO DISTRICT, KOWLOON
RESTAURANT BACKDOOR, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, MONG KOK, KOWLOON
OLD STYLE APARTMENTS AND CHURCH, SHAM SHI PO, KOWLOON
OLD STYLE APARTMENTS, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
WORKER, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
STREETCLEANER BROOM, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
SHOP INTERIOR, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
OLD STYLE APARTMENT, TAI KOK TSUI DISTRICT, KOWLOON
ALLEY TAILOR SHOP, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
ALLEY WALL, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON
APARTMENT DOORWAY, MONG KOK DISTRICT, KOWLOON
UMBRELLA, KOWLOON CITY, KOWLOON