Keeping a diary to help me pay attention to life around me.
Those tiny moments when a stranger briefly enters your orbit because of the way they hold themselves or by the sillage of their fragrance. Constantly in a constant, point A to point B: the endurance of classically frantic city days. Seeing city dwellers bearing apocalyptically-messy-chic bags or XL shopper totes as if saying “I was out in the world, experiencing it.” The physicality of “I’m on my way.” An abandoned pair of shoes reluctantly skipping along the footpath from people and Lime scooters bustling past or the perfectly, unexplained tone of a shop sign, catching public transport, missing public transport....
Thankful for these moments for stopping me in my city scurries and slowing me down, I quickly take a shot and get back to it — a now rhythmic or an accidental daily mantra, but a physical act.
This is a collection of moments that have stayed with me since capturing them on my phone. Some are several years old. This is a diary. I’m the seagull and I feel lucky to catch these transient moments.
First published as a part of PhotoForum NZ’s 2026 zine workshop.
- 80 pages
- 135mm × 180mm
- Section sewn 128gsm silk matte stock
- Hand bound in Aotearoa, New Zealand
- ISBN 978-0-473-80073-4
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Previously...
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Launch
15 SEP 2026
Handcrafted Modern
Auckland, NZ
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BOOK FESTIVAL
6–9 AUG 2026
PhotoBook NZ Festival
Wellington, NZ
Stockist
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Handcrafted Modern
120 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn
Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
Press
“Diary of a Lucky Seagull by Aileen Chen,” written by Constance McDonald for ART NEWS, September 2026
Stockist
-
Handcrafted Modern
120 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn
Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
Press
“Diary of a Lucky Seagull by Aileen Chen,” written by Constance McDonald for ART NEWS, September 2026
