House of Gold

Photography, 2022

Taken in Macao, this photograph captures the uneasy beauty of a city built on contrasts. A glittering casino rises behind an old apartment block, its gold surface catching the light while the building below fades into shadow. The two structures seem to belong to different worlds — one promises luck and luxury, the other holds the weight of everyday life.

The casino’s opulence almost swallows the homes beneath it, yet can’t erase their presence. The photo isn’t just about architecture, but about what it says — how dreams of fortune and progress are built on layers of history, labor, and quiet endurance. In Macao, the shine and the struggle exist side by side, and this image holds them together in a single frame.