Realms of Memory by Billy H.C. Kwok, Jay Lau, Lau Wai

‘The World A Wave’ is the theme for the second edition of Bristol Photo Festival, the international biennial of contemporary photography, which will open in autumn 2024 (the opening week is 16 - 20 October 2024). The Festival programme focuses upon a world in constant motion; where the social, political and environmental conditions of shared life are always changing and becoming otherwise. Drawing on the success of its first edition in 2021 which drew over 200,000 visitors, the dynamic festival, internationally focused but locally grounded, delivers long-term engagement and education programmes engaging with culturally underserved communities and places.

Exhibitions are held in the city’s major visual arts institutions alongside independent and unconventional spaces, all accompanied by a wide events programme engaging with multiple aspects of the city of Bristol.

RPS Gallery is situated in the photography hub of Bristol alongside the Martin Parr Foundation.

Realms of Memory by Billy H.C. Kwok, Jay Lau & Lau Wai is part of the second edition of the Bristol Photo Festival is on show at RPS Gallery, Bristol 

17 October -  22 December 2024 

Thursday - Sunday | 10am - 5pm | Free admission

Please see our guide on how to find us here

Lau Wai graduated from the Columbia University School of the Arts with a Master of Fine Arts. Lau’s practice draws from personal and historical archives, cinematic imagery, popular culture, and emerging technologies to investigate how history, fiction, personal memory, and virtuality intersect in the process of identity formation. Their practice involves moving images, new media, photography, sculpture, and installation.

Their work is collected by The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA, Alexander Tutsek–Stiftung Foundation, Germany and M+ Hong Kong. They have exhibited at international events and institutions, including Tai Kwun Contemporary (Hong Kong, 2019 and 2021); The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (2019); Yokohama Triennale (Japan, 2020); and Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space United States, 2024.

Lau is currently based in New York.

Billy H.C. Kwok graduated from the City University of Hong Kong with a bachelor’s in media and communication. He began his career as a photojournalist in print media before transitioning into photography. Kwok’s work delves into the rapid shifts in geopolitical relationships and power structures in China and its neighbouring regions, focusing particularly on Hong Kong and Taiwan. His work has been featured in prestigious publications such as The New York Times, TIME Magazine, and The Washington Post. He has also exhibited globally, including at the Landskrona Foto Festival (Sweden), the Dynasty Gallery (Taiwan), and the Asia Contemporary Art Show (Hong Kong).

In 2022, he was honoured with the Abigail Cohen Fellowship in Documentary Photography from Magnum Foundation.

Jay Lau obtained his master’s degree in fine arts from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His multidisciplinary practice spans printmaking, photography, and sculpture, rooted in an interest in the mechanical reproduction and representation of images. His work highlights the physical attributes and cultural meanings of materiality.

Lau has been recognised with numerous accolades, including the Cheung’s Fine Arts Award and the WMA Graduate Award. His work has been widely exhibited in institutions and venues in Hong Kong, such as Tai Kwun, Art Project Gallery, Hong Kong Open Printshop, and Hanart TZ Gallery.