FAN HO. The master of Hong Kong photography

This retrospective exhibition, which has never before been shown in Italy, curated by Elisa Maupas e Sarah Van Ingelgom, celebrates the extraordinary career of Fan Ho, one of the most important street photographer in Asia. Produced by Ares in collaboration with the Blue Lotus Gallery by Hong Kong, the exhibition consists of one hundred photographs, mainly in black and white, which trace the Chinese author’s aesthetic quest in a perfect balance between realism e abstraction.

Nicknamed the «The Cartier-Bresson of the East», Fan Ho He has managed to transform the teeming, crowded streets of the metropolis into contemplative scenes populated by solitary figures, capturing the city’s truest spirit amongst the the 1950s and 1960s. The human element is central to his works: porters, street vendors e children playing they become the protagonists of a narrative centred on the hardships and resilience of the inhabitants.

From a formal point of view, the artist’s style is characterised by the rigour of the geometric and minimalist compositions, by applying the principles of pictorial composition to photography. Through the skilful use of backlighting effects e chiaroscuro, Fan Ho brought out abstract silhouettes and patterns from the half-light. The exhibition itinerary includes absolute masterpieces such as Approaching Shadow, Street Scene, Pattern e A Play of Light and Shadow, where physical reality contrasts with geometric lines, evoking an almost musical rhythm that foreshadows his subsequent successful career in the world of cinema.