Alive

Kim Haks Alive is a photo book following a gallery exhibition offering audiences a glimpse into the lives of Cambodian refugees who immigrated to New Zealand to escape the Khmer Rouge regime. Hak captures storytelling imagery via still photography, attempting to reveal an unknown narrative.

The images focus on connection, reflecting life as it may have been felt in a moment or memory. Some of the objects photographed - like a silver bracelet, a small marble statue or a piece of fabric - almost have the presentation of an unearthed archaeological museum piece about them with a romantic historical story behind each image but Hak pairs objects next to something more mundane, like a soup pot, which immediately hints at a deeper story.