Hairdresser

This photograph depicts a majie, a Cantonese female domestic helper, having her hair combed and cut. Majie, meaning 'mother and sister', referred to a specific group of women who underwent a ceremony known as 'sor hei' (combing up). During this ceremony, the women took vows of celibacy and had their hair combed into buns, an act which reflected their independent status. The photograph was taken by Mr Hor Kwok Kin, a chef by trade, Hor taught himself photography in his spare time. His photographs have been featured at multiple international exhibitions and in 1992 he was awarded the Fellowship of the UK's Royal Photographic Society.

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