Photographer David Bong spent five weeks in Asia, after a decade of separation, making this trip his homecoming & closure. He took many photographs & after looking at the images for several months, narrowing them down to the last 14, their effect steered him to a different alley of appreciation. There was something dramatically distinct about the faces & body language of these people, beyond the ethnicity, clothes, food. The gap between our understanding of & relating to the children, workers, grew to the proportion of a different reality. That reality sets us apart, makes us uncomfortable & yet drawn to the images. Hence, the title distinct reality.
What would these images do for you? Where would we arrive through the eyes of these children? Will we ever fully return to our reality after sharing a mid-day meal with the workers on a concrete wall? Would we sit down with the woman against the red wall long enough to take off our shoes? What is our reality now?
Opening reception: Tuesday, August 29h, from 6-8pm
For more information please visit www.westvanartscouncil.ca
