Through interviews with individuals who pursue photographic expression through their own unique perspectives, we explore the origins of their creativity, their philosophies, and their creative processes, delivering fresh inspiration to photographers and photo media around the world.
For this edition, we turn our attention to Hong Kong-based photographer Wing Shya. By documenting and preserving the origins of his creative practice, as well as the ideas and perspectives he holds dear, we hope to contribute to the ongoing archive of contemporary photographic culture.
Through these “10 Questions,” we take a closer look at the process behind his work and the thoughts that shape his visual expression.
©︎ Wing Shya
Wing Shya
Born in Hong Kong in 1964, Wing Shya founded Shya-la-la Workshop after graduating from Emily Carr Institute. An award-winning graphic designer and typographer, Shya later expanded into filmmaking, releasing the feature film Hot Summer Days (2010) and its sequel Love in Space (2011). Stay Away from Me was slated for release in 2021. Returning to fine art, Shya presented the inaugural solo exhibition “Distraction/Attraction” at Mori Art Museum, Roppongi, in March 2006, and was selected for “In Fashion 07” at Art Basel Miami in 2007. A retrospective at SCoP Shanghai followed in November 2017 and traveled to Xie Zilong Photography Museum in Changsha in spring 2019. In 2020, Shya exhibited in the 7th edition of KYOTOGRAPHIE and hosted multiple online seminars and workshops during the pandemic, cultivating educational seeds in art and photography.
Instagram : @wingshya
Q1. Tell us about the origins of your photography and your current activities.
I always take inspirations from the disorganized world around us, and especially living in HK.
©︎ Wing Shya
Currently I have worked on a few editorials and it depends on the parameters of each job that where my photography originates would be a dependable on the rest of the elements.
Q2. What are the most important elements or themes in your work?
The experimental and storytelling qualities that are usually full of emotions, especially when I work on films.
©︎ Wing Shya
Q3. How do your works come to life? We’d love to know what goes on behind the creative process — intuition, chance encounters, on-the-spot decisions.
I always predict the next move. The image is not shot at the time I see it.
©︎ Wing Shya
My intuition always comes from the subject that I am shooting, and when this subject is a human, then there's plenty of variables including the condition of the person on the day.
Q4. What drives you to keep creating?
By resetting my memory of certain things, I’m able to maintain a fresh perspective and stay motivated.
©︎ Wing Shya
I also see every opportunity to take photographs as a game—something I can play with freely, experiment with, and enjoy.
Q5. Please share one of your favorite shots. We’d also love to hear the story behind it and why you chose it.
Tilda Swinton wasn't in a very good shape on that day so everything put together had given me lots of limitations. But in turn, such parameters allowed me to experiment a lot of things that I've longed for.
©︎ Wing Shya
Q6. In the age of AI, what do you think photography means?
I don't think a lot about the deeper meaning of this. I'd apply AI when it is helpful to my work, and it is genuinely a useful tool and sometimes I'm always inspired in turn.
Q7. Within the Hong Kong photography scene, what movements or communities feel significant to you?
©︎ Wing Shya
I’m not focused exclusively on Hong Kong photography. I tend to look at work from a more international perspective, and I’m always following artists and their work from around the world.
Q8. Are there photographers or creative scenes from other countries that inspire or excite you?
There are fine art artists who take photos like Anselm Kiefer, Richard Prince and Andy Warhol. The way they see things and think is very intriguing.
Q9. Tell us about something you would dedicate your life to pursuing.
The pursuit of letting go.
©︎ Wing Shya
Q10. What message would you like to share with creators around the world, from where you stand today?
Think less. Listen to your heart. Your feelings would guide you.