In 2015, Lin Hsuan-Lang, then completing his final year of visual arts studies in Japan, returned to his hometown of Taipei with a renewed perspective. Seeking to capture the sense of familiarity and estrangement he simultaneously experienced, Lin embarked on a two-month exploration of the city’s streets, photographing spontaneously as he rediscovered the urban landscape.

The resulting series, titled “Taipei No Goodbye,” offers a vivid yet delicate depiction of brief encounters with the city’s residents and its dynamic environment. The work is characterized by its use of film photography and a predominance of blue tones, lending the images a dreamlike, almost cinematic atmosphere. Many photographs are deliberately out of focus or composed in ways that invite viewers to imagine the narratives behind the captured moments.

Among the evocative images is one of a cockerel meeting the camera’s gaze. The bird’s plumage blends harmoniously with nearby foliage, yet its presence creates a striking contrast, embodying both integration and dissonance within its surroundings.

“Taipei No Goodbye” will be exhibited at the Photographers’ Gallery in Tokyo from August 3 to 16. The collection distills Lin’s personal journey into an intimate urban portrait, reflecting both the vibrancy and transience of city life as seen through the lens of a returning native.