“From Mansions, To Cages, To Coffins — Hong Kong’s Rotten Property Ladder” …

“From Mansions, To Cages, To Coffins — Hong Kong’s Rotten Property Ladder” … that’s the title that my new story – text, photos, pic essay and audio – is running under in the article published this week in the ‘Global Mail’.

The piece is the culmination of a couple of trips to Hong Kong and months of research and planning … however, the result made all the effort worthwhile.

Pretty grateful that the guys at the ‘Global Mail’ thought my journalistic work in both words and images worthy of publication (and payment of course!). I’m also grateful to the poor of Hong Kong I visited, who accepted my appearance with grace – if not always with outright enthusiasm.

This is the first publication of the wider story of the poor of Honkers which includes the relatively new phenomenon of “Coffin Homes”, the more established rooftop shanty villages, the evictions from old industrial buildings and the homeless – and follows on from my original work on “Cage Homes” (which was published on ‘CNN World’ and in the ‘Daily Mail’ amongst others.)

Below is a screen shot of just the first few pars and
images from the story … you can find the complete story on the ‘Global Mail’ at http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/from-mansions-to-cages-to-coffins-hong-kongs-rotten-property-ladder/626/

Images and Text © Brian Cassey

FromMansionsToGlobalMailBlog

 

6th Photography Masters Cup …

Just been advised that one of my images “Homeless in Seoul” won an ‘Honorable Mention’ in the ‘Photojournalism’ category of the “International Color Awards – 6th Photography Masters Cup”.

Nice …

The image was made at Seoul Railway Station South Korea and shows a child peering at a homeless man preparing his cardboard box bed for the night in an underpass at the station. The homeless at the station are embroiled in a battle with state owned railway operator Korail who have evicted several hundred homeless from the railway precinct.

Two of my other images – “Chook” (an image of Kowanyama elder ‘Chook’ with his grand children) and “The Seventh Second” (an image of indigenous rodeo rider Elroy Josiah eating the dirt) – were also Nominess in the ‘People’ and ‘Sport’ categories.

The complete list of winners and nominees can be found here at http://www.thecolorawards.com/6thphotoshow/index.php

The winning and nominated images are also shown below …

© Images Brian Cassey

Soulless in Seoul - © pic by Brian Cassey

Australia - Kowanyama - 07/06/11.

Life in a Coffin – Hong Kong

This presentation was chosen as the Winner of the Nikon Walkley Photographers Slide Night at the Powerhouse in Brisbane on 7th August 2012. It depicts, in still images and a beautiful musical piece, the current plight of the poor in Hong Kong – acknowledged as the Worlds richest city.

Words and Images © Brian Cassey

‘Take’ Photography Magazine …

Following on from the huge success of the universally praised initial edition of photography magazine ‘Take’, publisher Andrew Johnstone has just released ‘Take’ edition 2.

Really pleased and humble to be amongst the 26 photographers from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina and Italy featured in the publication.

Excellent work from all through the 122 pages of images … all wrapped in a great hard cover … and all for just a cent under twenty bucks! Particularly pleased to see works from Jonathan Clifford, Jon Reid and Katrin Koenning also featuring.

My set in ‘Take’ 2 is the pic essay “Soulless in Seoul” which portrays the plight of the homeless in Seoul, South Korea who are being evicted from the Seoul Railway Station. To see it, do yourself a favour and buy a copy of ‘Take’ 2. If 19.99 is beyond your budget my Seoul images can be found here either on my website or on the site of my collective ‘fotostrada’.

To get your copy of ‘Take’ 2 go to the Take Magazine Facebook page here.

Below is an image of the beautiful hard cover of the new ‘Take’ 2 magazine and images of my featured pages.

Images © Take Magazine and Brian Cassey

Walkley Mag Splash …

The Walkley Magazine has published my “Soulless in Seoul” pic essay (retitled “Sleepless in Seoul”) as a double page spread in the centre of this months new edition. A great layout and a great shop window.

The images in the essay show the plight of the hundreds of homeless who are currently being evicted from Seoul Railway Station and precinct by South Korea’s super efficient state rail authority Korail.

Bizarrely, Korail have stated that the homeless pose a ‘terrorist threat’. In the latest twist the newly elected mayor of Seoul has asked Korail to reverse the decision to evict – but Korail have no intention of doing so.

I came across the sorry story during a brief stopover in Seoul whilst returning from exhibiting my work “Cage Dogs of Hong Kong” at the Gwangju Design Biennale in the south of South Korea.

Below I’ve posted an image of the Walkley Magazine spread and one larger image from the essay.

The full “Soulless in Seoul” essay can be viewed on my personal website at https://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/images.php?imagefolder=seoul … and on the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’ at http://www.fotostrada.com/#/brian-cassey/soulless-in-seoul/BCSeoul1s

© images by Brian Cassey

 

Soulless in Seoul (2) …

My newest essay “Soulless in Seoul” – on the evictions of homeless in Seoul South Korea (see post below) – is now also available on my personal photojournalism site proper at … https://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/images.php?imagefolder=seoul

Soulless in Seoul …

Whilst spending two days in Seoul South Korea after exhibiting at the Gwangju Design Biennale 2011,  I came across an evolving story that produced a compelling photo essay. Korail – the State owned railway operator – has commenced the forcible eviction of several hundred homeless from the main new Seoul railway station and the original restored 1925 station adjoining. Many of these homeless were victims of various financial crises over the years and, some, long time residents of the station complex.

At present Korail are removing people from the station building from the hours of 1.30am to 4.30am – but the action has only resulted in the homeless bedding down out in the open in the surrounding station precinct and in adjoining underpasses.

Various activists, churches and civic organisations have rallied to support the homeless but Korail has no intention of reversing the decision.

South Korea is one of the most dynamic economies on the planet and hurtling towards a place in the ‘Top Ten’ list … but the States treatment of it’s senior and less fortunate citizens appears less ’21st century’.

I’ve posted the full story and photo essay of 22 images on the ‘fotostrada’ website in “Latest Stories” … and a small selection of just four images below. As soon as time permits the essay will also be posted to my personal web site.

Images © Brian Cassey 2011