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To reach photographer Wing Shya’s studio, Shya-La-La Workshop, we piled into a loading lift and ascended to the upper floors of an old industrial building on the eastern end of Hong Kong Island. When we set foot in the workshop’s converted warehouse unit, Shya was in the midst of having his portrait photo taken—smoke was coiling to the ceiling from a cigarette in a nearby ashtray; the lights were dimmed. The photographer looked as though he could be the subject of one of his own signature atmospheric shots.
Hong Kong film buffs are familiar with Wong Kar-wai’s films. By extension, we have witnessed the images created by Shya, who has worked as the auteur’s set photographer since 1997, shaping our impressions of Wong’s films before the director releases his final cuts. Shya has shot many seminal figures in the Asian film and fashion worlds, including Singaporean-Chinese actress Gong Li, Cantopop “founding father” and thespian Leslie Cheung, and Chinese actress and model Zhang Ziyi. His raw, moody aesthetic is instantly recognizable—strikingly intimate and synonymous with Hong Kong.
After 25 years of wielding his cameras, Shya has produced an incredibly diverse body of work, one that charts Hong Kong’s cinematic glory in the past quarter-century. Some of his iconic images are on view at the retrospective exhibition “Acting Out” at the Shanghai Center of Photography (SCôP). Curated by SCôP artistic director Karen Smith, the presentation showcases over 100 photographs and videos from films, editorial and personal work—some of which have never been seen by the public before.
Shya admitted that he was relatively hands-off when it came to the exhibition, preferring to leave the arrangements to the curator and SCôP. His only involvement was to supply a deluge of photography files. “I kept asking myself, are those my photos? Really?” Shya exclaimed. Indeed, the artist’s practice and methods, as well as his chosen subjects, have seen plenty of changes in 25 years. While he’s still known to shoot for his friends in the entertainment industry—in addition to commercial and editorial clients such as Louis Vuitton and Vogue Italia—Shya has recently been in pursuit of capturing something more genuine in his photos. This goal has led him to journey across the globe to shape various personal projects.
It’s difficult to reconcile Shya’s seemingly candid shots of the booming 1990s with the constructed performances behind them—but they are the products of exactly that. “When I shoot, I always carry a character and a script [in my head],” he explains. “The models were part of my story. I tried to find that moment where I saw the character.” Today, his gaze has moved from the stars of the fashion spreads and silver screen to the regular citizens and youth of Hong Kong—“They have something that is real, that even professional actors don’t know how to do,” he says.
Most recently, Shya’s search for something real has taken him into the classrooms of Shanghai University, where he ran a seminar. “I discovered some good new photographers and gave them my WeChat code,” he recounts. “They sent me their work, and asked, ‘Can you join my shoot?’ I talked to almost every student.” When Shya discusses the young students and models that he has worked with, it becomes clear that he identifies with their passion, and has high hopes for their creative drive.
Years ago, when he was still a student at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Canada, Shya encountered classmates who derided Hong Kong’s photography scene, stating that it lacked potential. He declared his intent to make art that would prove them wrong. Having created unforgettable masterpieces throughout his career, Shya is set to inspire the next generation of artists to do the same.
Wing Shya’s “Acting Out” is on view at the Shanghai Center of Photography until January 10, 2018.
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