"SOLACE" by Wing Shya Book signing event

This is a collection of works by Hong Kong-born photographer Wing Shya. This is the artist's first monograph to be published in the United States.

When he first began his career as a photographer, he was brought on as a stills photographer for films such as Happy Together (1997) and In the Mood for Love (2000) by Shanghai-born, Hong Kong-raised director Wong Kar-wai. Through this rare opportunity to be on the set of one of the great masters of the film industry, he was able to capture famous actors such as Tony Leung, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, and Gong Li in their natural, out-of-character poses between takes. This book is a mix of behind-the-scenes portraits of stars, landscapes captured from cars and airports on the road, rain-soaked snapshots of urban streets, personal shots in nature and cityscapes encountered on his travels, indoor shots, and the best shots from commercial shoots. This collection of works is a remarkable testament to the artist's expressive abilities as an eloquent storyteller and a thoughtful observer.

Hong Kong has long captured the Western imagination as a mysterious foreign land of dazzling neon lights and chaotic electrical pulsations. But the author reveals a more personal and contemplative Hong Kong. As time passes slowly, he captures fleeting moments with a quiet gaze, and offers the reader a sensitive and intuitive approach, as if probing the delicate chemical reactions that occur in human relationships from a distance. A dreamlike atmosphere emerges on the expired film, highlighted by flashes of vivid color.

In the words of art director William Chang, who is Kar-wai's greatest supporter and collaborator in his films, this film is "a masterpiece that skillfully captures a fragment of a moment." We hope that through this film, we can convey to the world the exquisite nuances of Kar-wai's work and the rich history and culture of Hong Kong as seen through his eyes.

The DVD contains a conversation with Karen Smith, a curator, art historian specializing in contemporary Chinese art, and founding director of OCAT Xi'an, one of the OCAT Museum Group, a group of contemporary art museums in China.

Wing Shya

Born in Hong Kong in 1964. After studying fine arts at Emily Carr University in Canada, he returned to Hong Kong and founded the design studio "Shya-la-la Workshop," which won numerous awards. In 1997, he was appointed by film director Wong Kar-wai as the exclusive photographer and graphic designer for the film "Buenos Aires." He continued to collaborate with Wong Kar-wai on films such as "In the Mood for Love," "Eros," and "2046." Shya, who is also well-known as a film director, made his directorial debut in spring 2010 with the blockbuster film "Hot Summer Days," after collaborating with musicians such as Karen Mok, Jacky Cheung, and Vanessa Mae on music videos. The sequel, "Happy Year's Eve," was released in autumn 2011. In 2006, he returned to fine arts and held a solo exhibition, "Wing Shya Exhibition," at the Mori Arts Center Gallery. He has since held solo exhibitions in New York, Italy, Hong Kong, and other cities. He has also worked on visuals for famous fashion magazines around the world, such as iD (UK) and Numèro (France), as well as for brands such as Louis Vuitton and Martin Margiela.