Mother and child – © Fan Ho
“I don’t think technique is too important. It’s more important to use your eyes, your mind and your heart…” – Fan Ho
Fan Ho, Portrait
Although less well known than some of his Western contemporaries, Fan Ho was one of the most important street photographers of the 20th century, and the remarkable images he captured of Hong Kong in the 1920s and 1950s affirm the zeitgeist of the time and continue to influence and inspire today.
Mom’s Second Kitchen, Hong Kong, the 50s and 60,© Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
Born in Shanghai in 1931, his photographic journey began after his father gave him a Kodak Brownie Box camera on his 14th birthday. Four years later, his family, like thousands of others, emigrated from the mainland to Hong Kong, and it was there, shortly after his arrival, that Ho acquired the twin-lens Rolleiflex that was to become his trademark.
Different directions, Hong Kong, 1958 © Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
Afternoon discussion, Hong Kong, 1959 © Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
Whitty Street Diary, Hong Kong 1950-60’s © Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
At mid-century, Hong Kong was a place in flux: British sovereignty had resumed after the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945 and, following the Chinese Communist Party’s victory in the civil war in 1949, the People’s Republic of China had been established on the mainland. What’s more, it was on the cusp of rapid industrialisation (helped by a wave of new migrants) that would transform it into a modern metropolis over the following decades.
Souvenir of Wan Chai, Hong Kong 1950-60’s © Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
Quarter to Four, Hong Kong
Fan Ho, ‘Balance” Hong Kong
Fan Ho, armed with his new camera and the curious eyes of a stranger, began to explore the streets of his new home. Drawn to the maze-like alleys and markets of the bustling central district, he captured scenes of everyday life: children playing in the chaotic urban playground, hawkers and street vendors hawking their wares, with a skill and artistry to rival any of his most iconic contemporaries.
Hong Kong Venise, 1962 © Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
Approaching the shadows, Hong Kong, 1954 © Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
Bamboo Men, Hong Kong, 1956 © Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
His impeccably framed compositions (many of which are the result of cropping during post-production) invariably possess a cinematic quality, imbued with a palpable atmosphere that convincingly engages the viewer. Often shrouded in smoke or steam, or bathed in the shadows of adjoining buildings, the narrow streets, metro stations and markets of mid-century Hong Kong are immortalised by his lens.
A little girl doing her homework – © Fan Ho
Cleaning , 1950
Sun beams, Hong Kong, 1959 © Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
Fan Ho has often been dubbed “the Cartier-Bresson of the East” and comparisons with the master photographer are well-founded. Like Bresson, Ho was, at heart, a humanist who sought to convey the stories of his compatriots.
Fan Ho, Back to Back, (1949)
Fan Ho’s work displays its own distinct sensibility, notably his masterful and intrinsic use of light, shaped by his self-didacticism on the streets of Hong Kong and precipitated by its distinct topography.
That One Too, Hong Kong 1950-60’s © Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
Although perhaps best known for his monochrome work, Ho also photographed in Colour. He began in the mid-1950s, long before the format was widely accepted, and so deserves to be recognised, alongside American contemporaries such as Eggleston, Shore and Meyerowitz, as a pioneer of chromaticity. As prolific as he was talented, he created much of his most remarkable work before the age of 30, then moved into the film industry, briefly as an actor, then as a director.
Market Promenade, Hong Kong 50-60’s © Fan Ho, Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery
Over the course of his photographic career, he won nearly 300 competitions and titles, and today his work is held in temporary and permanent collections around the world, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Nevertheless, until later in his life, and even in the years following his death in 2016, he remained relatively unknown in the West outside the most discerning photographic circles. However, thanks largely to his trust and their sole representative, the Blue Lotus gallery in Hong Kong, which facilitated the dissemination of his work to a wider audience, his extraordinary talent is beginning to gain the recognition it deserves.
