On the gravestones in Hong Kong are black and white images of the deceased. Often portraying the person at a much younger age than they died, they are reminders of our own mortality, as well as remembrance of the individuals themselves. Photographer Kris Vervaeke has captured thousands of images of these portraits, collated into a book, Ad Infinitum. Over the years, exposed to the elements, the portraits have faded and decayed. The resulting images are a fascinating and evocative study of the passing of time – both in looking upon the faces of the people who once lived and in the inevitability of the decay of the portraits themselves.
[Images from Kris Vervaeke’s homepage]
● By Rose Arnold
