FAN HO: THE MASTER OF LIGHT AND SHADOW
BIOGRAPHY
Fan Ho, nicknamed ‘the great master’ earned his fame as one Asia’s most beloved street photographers capturing Hong Kong in the 50’s and 60’s. Fan Ho’s photographic career started in Shanghai at the early age of 14 when given his first Kodak Brownie for his birthday from his father. Within the first year he won his first award. In 1949, the family moved to Hong Kong where the young Fan Ho continued pursuing his love for photography. At the age of 18 he acquired his twin lens Rollei with which he captured all his famous work.
Dubbed the ‘Cartier-Bresson of the East', Fan Ho had the patience to wait for ‘the decisive moment’; very often a collision of the unexpected, framed against a very clever composed background of geometrical construction and texture. He also liked to create drama and atmosphere with backlit effects or through the combination of smoke and light. His favorite locations were life on the sea or the streets, alleys and markets around dusk.
What made his work so intensely human is his love for the common Hong Kong people; coolies, vendors, hawkers selling fruits and vegetables, kids playing in the street or doing their homework, people crossing the street… As per Mr Ho; ‘I love Hong Kong and I love Hong Kong people’’ He never intended to create a historic record of the city’s buildings and monuments; rather he aimed to capture the soul of Hong Kong; the hardship and resilience of its citizens.
What made his work so intensely human is his love for the common Hong Kong people; coolies, vendors, hawkers selling fruits and vegetables, kids playing in the street or doing their homework, people crossing the street… As per Mr Ho; ‘I love Hong Kong and I love Hong Kong people’’ He never intended to create a historic record of the city’s buildings and monuments; rather he aimed to capture the soul of Hong Kong; the hardship and resilience of its citizens.
Fan Ho was most prolific in his teens and 20’s and created his biggest body of work before he reached the tender age of 28. His work didn’t go unnoticed at his time. He won close to 300 local and international awards and titles in his day through competing in the salons. His talent was also spotted by the film industry where he started out as an actor before moving to film directing until retiring at 65.
Fan Ho is a Fellow of the Photographic Society and the Royal Society of Arts in England, and an Honorary Member of the Photographic societies of Singapore, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy and Belgium. He most recently won a 'Life-time Achievement Award, the 2nd Global Chinese Int'l Photography Award, China, 2015' by the Chinese Photographic Society (Guangzhou).
During his long career he has taught photography and film making at a dozen universities worldwide. His work is in many private and public collections of which most notable are: M+ Museum, Hong Kong, Heritage Museum, Hong Kong, Bibliothèque National de France, Paris, France, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, USA, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, USA and many more.
EARLY LIFE
Born in Shanghai, China, Fan Ho relocated to Hong Kong in 1949 with his family. Initially separated from his parents, Ho shot his first images with a small Brownie left behind by his father, capturing a blossoming Hong Kong in the early 1950s and 1960s as it transitioned from a trading port to a major metropolitan centre. A self-taught photographer, Ho's early images were developed in the family bathtub and showed candid images of street vendors and children, documenting the city's urban life across streets, back alleys, and markets. Later photographs were taken using a twin-lens Rolleiflex, gifted to him at the age of 18. Ho would use the same Rolleiflex K4A throughout his working life.
FAN HO PHOTOGRAPHY
Fan Ho's photographs are often associated with the Bauhaus movement because of their sharp contrasts and geometrically composed sparse bits of skyscrapers sighted through the veil of smoke. The grainy photographs often present a sense of narrative and place through backlit effects or smoke and light. 'Approaching Shadow', Hong Kong (1954) is a monochrome photograph showing Ho's cousin leaning against a wide wall, approached from the profile, eyes cast downwards. To the picture, Ho added a diagonal shadow cutting through the background, alluding to the fading away of her youth.
In 'Journey to Uncertainty', Hong Kong (1956), an elongated person walks away from the viewer, bag and cane in hand. The figure is shown travelling through a narrow back alley, away from cobblestone pavement, towards the aftermath of development. Similarly, 'Children's Paradise', Hong Kong (1959) is set in the backstreets of Hong Kong. The monochrome photograph shows three children running from the camera, framed by lines of laundry from above. The light catches on the white garments and falls over the figures. In the lower-right corner, an elderly man and four other children rest seated on wooden crates, three facing the photographer. They look into the camera unbothered.
FILM CAREER
Fan Ho joined Shaw Brothers in 1961 as a continuity assistant for The Swallow (1961) before taking on acting roles for the studio, portraying characters like the Monk in the Journey to the West series. He then moved on to make his own short films, prompted by the similarity between the mediums and the ease in translation of the photographer's already highly dramatic scenes to moving images. In 1969, Ho left Shaw Brothers, going on to produce over 20 films over the course of his career in Hong Kong and in Taiwan, three of which featured at the International Film Festivals of Cannes, Berlin, and San Francisco.
BOOKS
Fan Ho wrote Thoughts on Street Photography in 1959 at the age of 28. The compilation of essays details schools of thought, approaches to the medium, and offers guidance for creating interesting compositions, while locating the artist's own work within the spectrum. Portraits of Hong Kong, published after the artist's death in 2016, gathers 153 photographs selected from 500 negatives showing highly realistic and documentary images capturing Hong Kong's streets. These photographs deviate from the photographer's signature style, from an awareness of the market's preference for more abstract and aesthetically poignant compositions.
AWARDS
Fan Ho has won over 280 awards since 1956, while lecturing about photography and filmmaking at 12 universities in Taiwan and in Hong Kong. Ho was a Fellow of the Photographic Society of America, the Royal Photographic Society and the Royal Society of Arts in England, and an Honorary Member of the Photographic societies of Singapore, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium. In 2015, Ho was the recipient for the Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2nd Global Chinese International Photography Award, from the Chinese Photographic Society.
EXHIBITIONS
Fan Ho's work has shown widely worldwide across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Select solo exhibitions include Rediscover and Restructure, Art and Sensuality in Fan Ho's Cinema, Blue Lotus, Hong Kong (2021); Portrait of Hong Kong, Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong Kong (2019); ON THE STAGE OF LIFE, M97 Gallery, Shanghai (2016); A Hong Kong Memoir, Modernbook Gallery, San Francisco (2015); The Living Theatre, Modernbook Gallery, San Francisco (2009); and HONG-KONG 1952-1964, Laurence Miller Gallery, New York (2006). Recent group exhibitions include WITHOUT A WORD, The Polygon Gallery, Vancouver (2017); AFTERWORK, Para Site, Hong Kong (2016); 10th Angkor Photo Festival (2014); 5th Daegu Photo Biennale (2014); THIRTY Years, Laurence Miller Gallery, New York (2014); and Licht-Schreiben, Forum for Photography, Cologne (2009).
TEACHING AND MENTORING
In addition to his photographic career, Fan Ho was passionate about sharing his knowledge and expertise with others. He taught photography at several institutions, including Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. His teachings and mentorship have inspired many aspiring photographers, who have gone on to make their own mark in the world of photography.
FAN HO's LASTING IMPACT ON STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Fan Ho's work has continued to inspire photographers who strive to capture the essence of urban life. His innovative use of light, shadow, and composition, combined with his ability to document the human experience, has cemented his status as a master of street photography. Photographers like Vivian Maier, Daido Moriyama, and William Eggleston have also explored urban environments through their lenses, each with their unique perspectives and styles. Although their work differs in various aspects, they all share a connection with Fan Ho's ability to reveal the extraordinary within the ordinary. Fan Ho's photographs will always remain an essential part of the history of street photography, serving as both a testament to his incredible talent and a source of inspiration for future generations of photographers.
LEGACY AND INFLUENCE
Fan Ho's work has left a lasting impact on the world of street photography. His ability to capture the essence of a city and its people, combined with his innovative use of light and shadow, has made him a true icon in the field. It is hard to suggest other similar photographers because of his unique style, but other notable photographers you might be interested in include Saul Leiter, Trent Parke, Alex Webb, and Raghubir Singh. Fan Ho's photographs continue to inspire generations of photographers who are drawn to the beauty and complexity of urban life. His work serves as a timeless reminder of the power of photography to document history and evoke emotion.
SOURCE
https://ocula.com/artists/fan-ho/
https://aboutphotography.blog/photographer/fan-ho
https://fanho-forgetmenot.com/
https://luminousjourneys.net/irreverent-photog-blog/fan-ho-a-vision-in-shadows-light/
https://independent-photo.com/news/fan-ho-master-of-photography/
https://www.yatzer.com/1950s-hong-kong-inspires-new-photography-series-fan-ho
https://erickimphotography.com/blog/fan-ho/
https://www.souslesetoilesgallery.net/artists/fan-ho
VIDEOS
How To Use Negative Space Like A Pro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPRXe9zx08w
Fan Ho | the art of light, shadow, and humanism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjQNFr4FCfI
Fan Ho -Master of Light and Shadow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GxgCK846fU