Artwork: The Lone Ranger.
Artist: Fan Ho.
About the Work: Three days ago, revered Chinese artist Fan Ho died at his Californian home at the age of 84.
Though he wrote books and worked in film, both behind and in front of the camera, Fan will undoubtedly be remembered for his photography.
Moving from mainland China to Hong Kong (then a British colony) as a teenager, Fan watched as the city more than quadrupled its population in the wake of war and revolution.
It’s this fact that makes Hong Kong Yesterday, Fan’s collection of photos taken with his uncle’s Rolleiflex camera, so magical. Fan’s finest skill in those early days was his patience; patience that allowed him to capture the most elusive element of life in the city: solitude. His work is like the encapsulation of a fantasy, of a dream world few ever get to experience outside of art, especially in the most densely populated area of the world.
“You must have the precise moment to catch the spirit, the essence, the soul of the person… If you don’t have the exact moment, you have to wait for the right feeling,” he revealed in his biography, Fan Ho: A Hong Kong Memoir.
Fan won over 280 international awards and competitions for his images, which he continued to shoot and experiment with into his 80s.
In the video below, Fan explains how he taught himself photography amidst such national turmoil, and the philosophy that drove him to excellence.
Vale Fan Ho, the true lone ranger of Chinese photography.
1931 – 2016