So Close, So Far — Bridge

A woodblock print depicting a bridge as the central motif in Lam Lok-san's "So Close, So Far" series. The series title evokes the paradox of physical proximity coupled with psychological distance, a theme resonant for an artist whose practice spans his Central Academy of Fine Arts training in Beijing and his current Hong Kong base. The choice of Somerset 100% cotton paper rather than traditional washi reflects a contemporary, Western-influenced approach common among CAFA-trained printmakers, where heavier mould-made stock supports denser inking and more pronounced relief impressions than thinner kozo-fiber papers permit. The bridge motif in contemporary Chinese printmaking carries layered associations of connection, transition, and the structural geometries of urban landscape. Lam's role as senior technical officer at the Hong Kong Open Printshop, where he oversees studio operations, informs a precise relief technique attentive to registration and edge fidelity. As part of a broader series, this landscape entry operates in dialogue with the paired still-life "Toy" prints, extending a meditation on belonging across the registers of architecture and intimate object.