Inferno: The Cost of Existence
Photographer
Ka Fong Chan
Country
Macau
Description
Officially selected for the International Photography Awards (IPA), this photograph was created just three months after I began my photographic journey. Set within the hyper-efficient infrastructure of a Hong Kong MTR station, it uses powerful diagonal lines to emphasize geometric order. The escalators become a modern “Inferno,” carrying anonymous commuters through the era of face masks. Rendered in high-contrast black and white, the image reflects the collective alienation and quiet helplessness of individuals striving to exist beneath the overwhelming forces of institutional architecture and public crisis.
Biography
A Macau-based amateur photographer who began self-teaching photography in late 2023. Starting with street photography, the artist has expanded into projects exploring observation, narrative, and atmosphere across street, landscape, and conceptual photography, with a particular interest in everyday order, spatial relationships, and the subtle connections between people and their surroundings.
Passionate about black-and-white film photography, the artist’s work was selected for the IPA 2024 Official Selection and Final, and received Honorable Mentions from the IPA, TIFA, BIFA, and Analog Sparkles in 2025. Forms of Serenity is the artist’s first photobook and series.