「人在外地，才發現對自己居住的城市一無所知。除了家的附近，對其他地方的印象竟有點模糊，只能說出『密集』、『高樓大廈』和『繁忙』等片面的詞語來形容這城市。」
回憶總是存在缺口，無論一個人的記憶力有多好，有些風景總會在回憶裡慢慢地褪色。「重構記憶」理論說明人的記憶往往不可靠，對於失去的部分，大腦會用感知、想像等進行重構或是虛構，來自動補完這段回憶。「這幾年這麼多人移民離開，他們還能記住這城市的模樣嗎？」香港藝術家林嘉儀（Miki）在東京旅行時想畫一幅東京與香港，兩個城市對比的速寫，下筆一刻才驀然發現對生活多年的城市是如此陌生，反思自己平常是否沒有好好觀察這城市？於是，回來香港後她便開始了城市速寫。
「很多人覺得，做速寫要坐定定，但我不覺得速寫或寫生需要在一個固定的地方進行。我經常四處走，很多時候都在交通工具上觀察身處的城市。於是，我開始在乘車時寫生，嘗試過坐巴士、小巴或的士時寫生，眼前看到什麼就畫什麼，十分純粹。」開始時，Miki只帶一支鉛筆、一本畫簿，後來使用針筆、炭筆、油性筆和油粉彩等，不同材質讓畫的層次豐富起來。有些她會寫下乘什麼交通工具，或是由哪裡到哪裡，一張小小的畫紙，包含著一趟旅程、時間和地點。
「有趣的是，即使是再走一次那條路線，每一次看到的也會不同。後來發現這個城市是由很多細小的部分組成，如一條彎路、圓形的窗、鮮亮的欄杆⋯有些是圖案，有些是聲音，或是表達潮濕的感覺，細碎的元素逐漸累積下來，堆疊出很多層次，像一套屬於自己的語言。這些畫沒有草稿，即使是相同的路，每次畫出來的都不一樣，所以我會形容這些畫都是自動生成的。」
恆常路線 no.4 The constant route no.4（2021）
道路 The Path（2021）
Miki的城市速寫系列，以點線面來解構城市面貌，客觀的觀察、抽離的角度，結合個人感受和記憶，在畫布上呈現一個夢幻城市，細心觀看又有一些熟悉的香港元素，好像是我們也曾經到過的地方。「藉著這系列帶出的不只是相片才能留下回憶，當人們看到這些畫時，或許會勾起他們對香港的回憶。」眼睛隨著這些點與線，帶領我們探索城市人與城市景觀之間的聯繫。
自從細心觀察城市裡的每一個細節後，我們成為了城市旅人，這個城市從此變得不一樣。除了城市速寫系列，《In this generation, we can not clearly seen the scenery of this place》是Miki另一個城市風景畫系列，同樣以「速度」有關，不過，這是乘車時快速地掠過面前的風景。「有一次乘火車時，看到一位老伯伯站在窗前看風景，看了很久，但是火車走得很快，他到底看到了什麼呢？我忽爾感到人努力了大半生，但當你想細看身處的城市時，卻無法看清楚。一股莫名的唏噓湧上心頭。也許是急促的生活節奏，讓我們很少機會駐足觀察一個地方。於是，我趁火車走得很快時，拍下照片，那些一橫橫的線，模糊而富動感。當我用間尺把這風景畫下來時，感覺自己像影印機一樣，不斷地左右移動；這也像日常的我們，像機器般在城市裡移動。」
後來，Miki發展這系列時，想到以縫紉機的車線來表達，以縫紉機來畫畫。「開始時，我以不同厚度、材質的布、線的密度來嘗試，測試布料在車線後的收縮的程度。由深色線開始，把棉線不斷堆疊上去。由於不像畫畫般可以混色，當找不到想要的顏色，便要自己交叉混合出來。無論是使用鉛筆或棉線，都是在做一個對比出來，看似是一瞬間，卻花了很多時間來創作。」
Miki說，兩個系列的畫風不太一樣，一個是予人較大的想像空間、不是很容易看懂的；另一個是比較貼近生活，比較集中表現自然風景，是一閃即逝的瞬間。一個是收在框裡，一個是在框外。「不論是使用鉛筆或棉線的創作方式，都是用了很多線堆積而成，好像在同一個地方來回地遊走很多遍，才能成為一個印象或記憶，是一個累積的過程。」
“Only when I was away from home did I come to realize how little I truly knew about the city I call home. Beyond the confines of my own neighborhood, my perception of other areas has become somewhat blurred. I can only summon descriptions of the city such as ‘dense,’ ‘skyscrapers,’ and ‘busy.’”
Our memories are inevitably marked by gaps and flaws, regardless of how strong they may be. Over time, certain landscapes and details gradually fade away. The theory of “reconstructive memory” sheds light on the fact that human memory is often unreliable. When faced with missing fragments, our brains tend to reconstruct or invent them using perception, imagination, and other cognitive processes to fill in those gaps automatically. “With so many people emigrating from the city, can those who have left still recall the appearance of this place?” It was during her travels in Tokyo that Hong Kong artist Miki Lam felt inspired to sketch a comparison between Tokyo and Hong Kong. However, as she started putting pen to paper, she suddenly realized how unfamiliar she had become with the city she had called home for so many years. This realization led her to question whether she had truly observed her own city attentively in her daily life. Upon her return to Hong Kong, Miki embarked on urban sketching.
牛池灣 Ngau Chi Wan（2021）
“Many people think that sketching requires sitting still, but I hold a different perspective. I don’t think sketching or life drawing needs to be confined to a fixed location. In fact, I often find myself wandering around, observing the city while on various modes of transportation. This led me to start sketching during my commutes. Whether I’m on a bus, minibus, or taxi, I take out my sketchbook and draw whatever catches my eye. It’s as simple as that.” At first, Miki only carried with her a pencil and a sketchbook. As time went on, expanded her artistic repertoire, incorporating various tools such as pens, charcoal, markers, and oil pastels, adding more depth and richness to her work. Sometimes she would note down the mode of transportation she was using or the specific route she was traveling, encapsulating the experience of a journey, capturing a particular moment in time and a specific location within the confines of a small piece of paper.
水城 Festival Walk (2022）
“It is fascinating to observe that even when I travel the same route again, what I perceive will invariably be different. I came to realize that this city is composed of countless intricate details: a winding road, circular windows, vibrant railings, and so much more. Some are visual patterns, others are auditory cues, or even a subtle sensation of humidity. These fragmented elements gradually accumulate, layer upon layer, forming a unique language of their own. There are no preliminary drafts for these sketches. Even when retracing the same route, each drawing turns out to be different. Hence, I would describe these sketches as spontaneously generated.”
Miki skillfully deconstructs the cityscape through the use of dots, lines, and shapes, presenting an objective and detached perspective. Infused with her personal emotions and memories, she portrays the city as a dreamlike realm on the canvas. Miki’s artworks exemplify that it is not solely photographs that can preserve memories. “It is not just photographs that can preserve memories. When people see my artwork, it may evoke their own personal recollections of Hong Kong.” As we follow the intricate dots and lines with our eyes, we are guided to explore the connection that exists between city dwellers and the urban landscape.
As we start observing every detail of the city keenly, we become urban travelers, and the city itself undergoes a transformation. In addition to her urban sketches, Miki has created another series titled “In this generation, we cannot clearly see the scenery of this place.” This collection also revolves around the theme of speed, capturing the fleeting landscapes observed during travel. “During one train ride, I witnessed an elderly man standing by the window, his gaze fixated on the passing scenery for an extended period. The train was moving so fast and I wondered what he truly saw. This encounter made me realize that we strive ceaselessly throughout our lives, but when we want to closely examine the city we inhabit, clarity becomes elusive. Within me, a peculiar feeling of melancholy arose. Perhaps the fast-paced nature of our existence seldom affords us the opportunity to pause and truly observe our surroundings. So, I started taking photos from moving trains, capturing those blurred yet dynamic horizontal lines. When I translated these movements onto paper using a ruler, I felt like a photocopy machine, constantly shifting from left to right. It mirrored our daily lives, where we navigate the cityscape like machines in motion.”
As Miki delved deeper into this series, the idea of using sewing threads as a medium and the sewing machine as a drawing tool emerged. “At first, I conducted trials using fabrics of varying thickness, textures, and density, aiming to understand the degree of shrinkage that would occur after stitching. Using dark-colored threads, I sew layer upon layer. Unlike traditional painting, where colors can be mixed, when I couldn’t find the threads of desired color, I had to blend and cross-mix the threads myself. Whether working with a pencil or cotton thread, I try to create contrast that appears instantaneous, yet bore witness to the substantial amount of time in its realization.”
“Regardless of using pencil or cotton thread, both creative approaches involve the accumulation of lines. It’s like walking the same path, back and forth, in order to forge an impression or memory. The process itself is one of gradual accumulation.” Miki commented that the two series possess distinct artistic styles. One embraces a more elusive and abstract nature, leaving ample room for interpretation and imagination; while the other centers on capturing everyday life and depicting transient moments within natural landscapes. Whether confined within a frame, or extends beyond its boundaries, both series ignite our imagination and stimulate contemplation about the city.
