A glimpse of solitude - Eiki Mori

I vividly remember the time when the parcel arrived; it is 8:12pm at night when I was back from a rainy day in East London. I forgot to bring my umbrella and very tired both physically and emotionally. Something bad happened but I forgot the details already, anyway, is not a particularly good day for me.

When I carefully unpacked the parcel, I revealed a book named Tokyo Boy Alone – a precious gift from my dearest friend Eiki Mori from Japan. Eiki and I have never met in person. He studied Photography in Parsons School of Design and now working in Japan very successfully as a portrait photographer. I came across his work in flickr and since then we become friends. When he asked my address in London, I thought he is going to send me a postcard, something light, something sweet, something I can handle or something small. I did not expect it is a book that had been haunting me for several days. It is a book about two objects I obsessed with - solidarity and boys.

Eiki expressed his view on how people and city connected to each other, how boys lived in a city and how they are viewed as the subject in our society. It is like a self-reflection of my London life – being separated from my beloved family and friends in Hong Kong. And I have to face all cultural shocks and differences in the western culture. I strongly agreed that it is not a book about sadness and depression; this is not Eiki’s intention. On the contrary, it projected a sense of intimacy rather than segregation of emotion. Something very close but untouchable, some emotion we long to express but couldn’t find the right words to say. Eiki captured the moment of distant proximity and visualised beautifully through his camera.

Eiki wrote about something remarkable in his mind:
Just before the sunrise, when everything is still and the passing moment seems almost palpable. I’m so tired to worry about what will happen when the sun is high up in the clear sky.
Then, at that exact moment, I see that light I’ve been searching for.

I am thankful that Eiki opened my mind for being alone in London. We are somehow emotionally connected to each other. I can’t wait to give you a big hug to express my love and appreciation of your aesthetics. You read my mind by your lens and show me being solitude is not a bad thing at all.