Aglaia is an autobiographical photo project that traces the intertwined histories of four women in Jane’s family, an Aglaia odorata tree, and post-colonial Hong Kong. Connected by a tree gifted to her at birth, which was later left behind when Jane migrated to London after the 2019 protests—the story reflects on inheritance, displacement, and how political shifts ripple through family history.
Combining Kirlian photography, family archives, and images of trees in both Hong Kong and London, Aglaia explores what it means to witness and be witnessed across generations. The Kirlian images, capturing the electrical aura of leaves as they lose moisture in transit, symbolically preserve what remains after uprooting—echoing the fragility of memory in exile.
Through photography and writing, the project reframes personal and historical events as fleeting moments within the longer lifespan of a tree. In doing so, Aglaia draws out enduring threads of family and heritage, offering a quiet meditation on what survives migration, time, and the shifting political landscape of Hong Kong.
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First Edition, 150 copies
By Jane Lam, @lapchingphotos
Pages: 76pp
Colour 4C+4C
Paper 120gsm Recycled Uncoated Paper
Size: 148mm x 210mm
Binding: Saddle-Stitched (Staple)
Printing: Digital printing
Language: Traditional Chinese and English
Publication Date: Oct, 2023
Aglaia is an autobiographical photo project that traces the intertwined histories of four women in Jane’s family, an Aglaia odorata tree, and post-colonial Hong Kong. Connected by a tree gifted to her at birth, which was later left behind when Jane migrated to London after the 2019 protests—the story reflects on inheritance, displacement, and how political shifts ripple through family history.
Combining Kirlian photography, family archives, and images of trees in both Hong Kong and London, Aglaia explores what it means to witness and be witnessed across generations. The Kirlian images, capturing the electrical aura of leaves as they lose moisture in transit, symbolically preserve what remains after uprooting—echoing the fragility of memory in exile.
Through photography and writing, the project reframes personal and historical events as fleeting moments within the longer lifespan of a tree. In doing so, Aglaia draws out enduring threads of family and heritage, offering a quiet meditation on what survives migration, time, and the shifting political landscape of Hong Kong.
————————————————————————————————————————
First Edition, 150 copies
By Jane Lam, @lapchingphotos
Pages: 76pp
Colour 4C+4C
Paper 120gsm Recycled Uncoated Paper
Size: 148mm x 210mm
Binding: Saddle-Stitched (Staple)
Printing: Digital printing
Language: Traditional Chinese and English
Publication Date: Oct, 2023
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