Molayem ART Magazine International Art Magazine
From lonely subway riders to towering residential blocks, Liam Wong’s images of cities at night are like an Edward Hopper painting brought to life
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Harajuku Rain, Tokyo, 01:36:02
No matter how different or far apart, cities at night share particular features: neon lights and lonely figures, quiet train stations and taxi drivers, empty buildings and streets. In his new book After Dark, photographer Liam Wong encounters the people and places, the slivers of life, that move differently in this time, weaving these fine threads into an insomniac’s journey through the night. In this image a woman passes by one of the many neon-lit fashion stores in Harajuku. After Dark by Liam Wong can be purchased from his website. All photographs: Liam Wong
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Mountain City, Chongqing, 03:45:55
A market worker balancing goods on a bamboo pole, making her way through the back streets of Chongqing – known as the Mountain City. Liam Wong is a director, game designer and photographer
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Night Market. Hong Kong, 00:02:49
A view from above the night market. Wong is known for defining, designing and directing visual identities and was listed as one of Forbes magazine’s Influential 30 Under 30
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Piccadilly, London, 00:18:21
A couple make their way through London’s underground, where their night ends/begins
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Last Train Home, Tokyo, 00:39:45
Akihabara Station. A woman waits on an empty platform for the last train home. Liam Wong says: ‘In After Dark, many of the signs and buildings I captured no longer exist. As a result of the pandemic, Sega closed the doors of its arcades for the last time in 2021. While these arcades still exist, they no longer carry the iconic Sega branding’
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HK Mansions 03:22:25
‘Captured on my first visit to Hong Kong and one of the earliest images in this series’
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Midnight Drive 04:18:31
A taxi passes through Ginza on a rainy night in Tokyo
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Still Life, Chongqing, 01:00:25
‘I named this one Still Life, as I notice more details each time I look at it, such as the black cat’
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Gangnam, Seoul, 02:30:04
A businessman walks through Gangnam late at night, clutching his briefcase
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Neon Soju, Seoul, 00:00:00
A neon sign reflects upon the ground in Eulji-ro in Seoul
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Night Cruise, Chongqing, 03:33:00
‘I was drawn towards the contrast of old and new: crew members having a late dinner with a view of the futuristic cityscape’
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Nighthawk, Tokyo. 03:22:21
‘Edward Hopper’s iconic painting Nighthawks was one of the many inspirations for this series: shining a light on urban loneliness in big cities. With this particular scene I was drawn towards the 50/50 split between dark and light, the illumination of the street from the reflections and the timeless silhouette of the man with the umbrella’
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A Lonely Night, Chongqing, 02:14:20
‘An old residential building, captured late at night. I noticed only one window lit up – a woman in a child’s room watching television’
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Night Shift Ends, Tokyo, 04:01:36
A taxi driver smokes his last cigarette before the end of night shift
