Photo courtesy Laurence Lao
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In April 2025, Laurence Lao achieved a significant milestone in the international photography scene, winning multiple prestigious awards for his works, Passage and Eternal Horizon. Passage won the Silver Award at the New York Photography Awards, while Eternal Horizon won the Gold Award at the Muse Photography Awards.
These accolades mark a breakthrough for Laurence Lao in the global photography art field. Since he entered the realm of photography, he has carved out a distinctive style, blending poetry and contemplation in his creations. His works reconstruct the narrative of light and shadow, transforming philosophical themes into perceptible visual languages, creating thought-provoking works that have garnered continuous attention at international photography biennials.
The New York Photography Awards is a leading humanitarian art platform, highlighting technical mastery and the artist’s engagement with social issues and human emotions. Winning the Silver Award for Passage signifies that Laurence Lao’s work resonates deeply with global audiences, offering a visual masterpiece and a poignant social commentary on life and human existence. The award honors emerging voices in art and recognizes Laurence Lao for his profound emotional connection with humanity, solidifying his place in the international art scene.
The Muse Photography Awards, one of the most respected in the art creation field, emphasizes innovation and the uniqueness of art. This prestigious award provides a platform for photographers worldwide to showcase their individual styles. The Gold Award for Eternal Horizon underscores Laurence Lao’s exceptional ability to challenge temporal boundaries and engage with deep existential themes. By selecting Eternal Horizon for its top honor, the Muse Photography Awards solidified Laurence Lao’s position as a forward-thinking artist.
Laurence Lao’s works transcend time and space, showcasing his deep understanding of grand themes such as human life, time, and societal change. Through the time-space tunnel in Passage and the eternal imagery in Eternal Horizon, he constructs a visual dialectic on the essence of existence. The former poses questions on the journey of life through dynamic visual grammar, while the latter challenges the entropy of time with static beauty, together offering a twofold interpretation of the theme of “moment and eternity.”
Passage is a creation born from Laurence Lao’s exploration of the themes of “time” and “life.” Using a modified medium-format film camera and multiple exposure techniques, the image depicts light spots calculated through mathematics, resembling quantum leaps dancing along the tunnel walls. The reflective ceramic material, specially etched, gives the black-and-white contrasts a texture akin to ancient bronze inscriptions. The piece intentionally dissolves the certainty of linear storytelling, with the fluctuating light spots serving as both beacons of hope and metaphors for cognitive limitations, inviting viewers to redefine the value of “the moment” amidst the vibrations on their retinas.
Passage is not merely a record of time’s passage, but a profound reflection on the uncertainties and complexities of life’s journey. Laurence Lao uses this work to express his attention to life’s various turning points, where all confusion and unease intertwine in a force within the tunnel, guiding individuals through uncertainty toward self-discovery.. The interplay of light and shadow in the work not only represents the flow of time but also reflects the inner struggles and growth of individuals. Through this piece, he invites viewers into his inner world, offering a unique understanding of life, time, and human existence.
If Passage deconstructs time through visual poetics, then Eternal Horizon serves as a material declaration for reconstructing eternity. This piece captures a classic Mercedes-Benz in harmony with warm sunlight and the whispers of pine trees, creating a tranquil, steady, and eternal atmosphere. Laurence Lao uses meticulously designed composition and light manipulation to imbue the entire scene with a sense of simple elegance. The car’s chrome gloss reflects the serenity of passing years beneath the sunlight, while the vast sky and the breeze brushing across the scene seem to freeze time in that moment, presenting a sense of tranquility and eternity.
This work, through its delicate interplay of light, shadow, and color, reveals the timeless allure of the classic. Laurence Lao does not pursue noise or extravagance but instead showcases the inherent elegance of objects through minimalist composition and proportions. The Mercedes-Benz captured in his lens is not just a car; it symbolizes a composed and graceful existence, untouched by time. In an era dominated by modern design and the restlessness of fashion, his work stands out with its tranquility and depth, as though reminding us that in a chaotic world, it is the classic and the eternal that are truly worth pursuing.
Eternal Horizon is not merely a photographic work about a classic car; it is a deep exploration of time and eternity. Through this piece, Laurence Lao demonstrates his pursuit of art, unconstrained by fleeting fashion, instead responding to change with constancy and to restlessness with calm. His lens masterfully combines the classic and the modern, the still and the moving, the eternal and the transient, creating an art world that prompts contemplation. This work, with its profound theme and artistic expression, won the Gold Award at the Muse Photography Awards, marking an important milestone in his continued success on the international stage.
Through these two award-winning works, Laurence Lao is reshaping contemporary photography’s cognitive dimensions. While many creators indulge in the convenience of instant imagery, he chooses to return to the craft’s fundamental roots; while trends chase visual spectacles, he insists on imbuing philosophical reflection into the material medium.
With these two significant awards, Laurence Lao has not only established a firmer artistic presence in the international photography community but has also deepened his exploration and expression of photography as an art form. His works are no longer mere artistic creations; they have become conveyors of his profound societal reflections and philosophical thoughts. Whether in Passage’s time tunnel or Eternal Horizon’s eternal classics, his lens showcases a deep understanding of life and art, offering viewers an immersive and resonant artistic experience. As he continues to deepen his exploration of photography as a profound artistic medium, Laurence Lao is poised to deliver even more works that inspire contemplation and resonate on a global scale.
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