– Wing Shya
In terms of stars and celebrity, Shya has worked with almost all of them, capturing images of the late golden era of Hong Kong stars, such as Leslie Cheung, Shu Qi, Faye Wong, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung as they acted or waited on set. Shya proved to be a deft hand at shooting these stars when they were off-guard, pioneering a style very different from the glossy, cultivated looks of Hong Kong celebrities that the media had previously been used to.
In the last 10 years as a filmmaker, he’s directed the likes of Aaron Kwok, Eason Chan, Nicholas Tse, Angelababy, Barbie Hsu, Daniel Wu and Rene Liu, as well as some of China’s biggest screen stars.
When I ask if he has any favourites, since there are a few names that regularly come up, Shya diplomatically replies, “Sometimes I don’t choose the stars, actors and actresses… Jettone is producing my films now and sometimes they’re chosen by the producers. Sometimes there are so many investors to take care of, and they also have a say in casting the stars,” he says with a laugh.
It’s Shya’s laidback attitude, wit and sense of humour that have made him such a unicorn in the world of photography, fashion and film. There are no airs or graces, despite his having achieved cult fame in Hong Kong and China. He’s exhibited in London’s V&A and the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, and has shot for the likes of id Magazine,vogue Italia and Numero. Today, Shya remains one of the most down-to-earth talents I’ve met in this city. Even when talking about his remarkable reputation and success, his take is very typically Shya.
“Everything that has happened in my life and career has been partly luck… All the moves and new directions have been natural and organic... I didn’t really plan it, I just kind of [went] with the flow and how I felt.”
As for that instantly recognisable signature mood, aesthetic and style, Shya says that meeting Terry Jones of id and shooting for the magazine early on was a defining moment in his career. “Terry was kind of my mentor in establishing my style. When I met him, he just gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted. That creative freedom was amazing and not something that I could find easily in Hong Kong. I could shoot naked people, or blurry pictures – it was the freedom that gave me the inspiration to create my style.”
In late 2017, the Shanghai Centre of Photography held a retrospective exhibition of Shya’s work, titled Acting Out. It was a collection of personal work as well as a broad selection of images from his entire image archive (outtakes and mistakes included) from his time as Wong Kar-wai’s on-set stills photographer, curated by noted Chinese art critic and curator Karen Smith. The opening, attended by Shya’s family, was an emotional event for him.
Today, the once abundant fashion photography has mostly stopped. He still shoots for a select few clients and magazines, but is kept increasingly busy by film projects. But that doesn’t mean Shya doesn’t still keep an eye on the photography and fashion scenes, and the many photographic talents coming out of Hong Kong, China and Asia.
“My style is already vintage-inspired, a bit nostalgic, and honestly I’m not really up to date any more, but I love what the young photographers are doing – it’s so exciting. It’s not the same stuff that I can do – but I love it.”
“Everything that happened in my life and career has been partly luck...”
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