I come from the birthplace of Cantonese Opera. For me, Cantonese Opera seems both familiar and unfamiliar. It used to be very popular, though it has left no footprint in my days of growing up. Nor those within my generation.It links to the initial inspiration for this project. I have followed all characters captured in the photos, and I shuttled between various theatres, chatted with people, and watched them prepare and play.To me, even to my generation, Cantonese Opera might have been identified as a kind of "Abandoned Art,” while the minimalism, Bauhaus, or materialism seemed more direct to be accepted than those art forms dated back to thousands of years before. With no exception to fashion, people become more and more lazy, including the photographers. Our eyes are blurring, our love to photography begins to turn into something that can be measured by money. The trend of constant change and update in the fashion industry has been enormously fast, telling a message that ‘Nothing is irreplaceable'. On the contrary, our traditional art remains immutable, obscure and gradually forgettable. There are cases that the traditional arts and crafts just disappeared only due to the difficulties that might be encountered by beginners. The author here took Cantonese Opera as a cultural carrier, enhanced the working method adopted by Nan Goldin and Diane Arbus, and re-considered how a traditional art form could be transformed into contemporary scenarios.The author also explored how Cantonese Opera gradually opens to the world. All above leads to the most important discussion regarding the sustainability of fashion. We are open for new creative inspirations to crash our vision, but meanwhile, the traditional aesthetic art form needs to be inherited. With remaining quintessential spirit, the traditional arts should take the initiative to change, and adapt to the contemporary trend. This is an essential way for the Cantonese Opera to be, and continue to be, alive.
