Solace

by Wing Shya

arly in his career, Shya was invited by Wong Kar-wai to serve as an on-set stills photographer for films including Happy Together and In the Mood for Love. Granted rare access to the renowned director's inner circle, over the years Shya captured poignant behind-the-scenes portraits of iconic actors such as Tony Leung, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, and Gong Li in unguarded moments between takes. These intimate images form the heart of Solace, interspersed with the best of Shya's commercial shoots, as well as private snapshots of nature and cityscapes encountered on his travels. The resulting collection is a true testament to Shya's ability as an eloquent storyteller and deeply introspective observer.

Hong Kong has long captured the West's imagination as an enigmatic Other with dazzling neon lights and a chaotic electric pulse. However, in Solace, Shya reveals a more personal and meditative Hong Kong. Time slows, inviting the viewer to explore the subtleties of interpersonal chemistries from a distance in ephemeral, quiet moments that showcase Shya's sensitive and intuitive approach toward his subjects. A nostalgic, dreamlike atmosphere emerges in his expired and exposed film, punctuated by flashes of vibrant color.

In the words of William Chang, one of Wong Kar-wai's most important collaborators, Solace is a “moving achievement that deftly captures ephemeral postures and fleeting snippets in time.”

We hope Solace will introduce an international audience to the sublime nuance of Wing Shya's work, as well as the rich history and culture of Hong Kong as seen through his eyes.

Session Press' twelfth photobook is Solace by Hong Kong-born film director and photographer Wing Shya. When Shya was just starting out as a photographer, he was brought on as a still photographer for Wong Kar-wai's films Buenos Aires and In the Mood for Love. Through his valuable experience on set with the film maestro, Shya has captured famous stars such as Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, and Gong Li in their natural, out-of-character poses between takes. Solace is comprised of behind-the-scenes portraits of famous stars, landscapes captured from cars and airports during filming trips, rain-soaked snapshots of city streets, and still lifes indoors.

The reason why Session Press decided to work on this book with Sha is that the image of Hong Kong seen from the West is a narrow one of "a noisy, chaotic city filled with the neon lights of the entertainment district," and we felt that there was a bias in the style expected of Japanese and Asian artists, including Sha, and that it was disappointing that they did not try to capture us as we really are. Therefore, we selected from Sha's works that were captured with a quiet gaze and had a delicate, ephemeral, and fantastical feel, and tried to express the new charm of Hong Kong and Sha's inner feelings that are not seen in commercial photographs.

William Chan, art director and the greatest supporter and collaborator of Wong Kar-wai's films, described Solace as "a masterpiece that skillfully captures the appearance and movement of a fleeting moment." I hope that viewers will be able to fully experience the appeal of Kar-wai's work through Solace.

—Cover: slikscreen printing
—Page: 184 pp
—Dimension: 210 x 297 cm
—ISBN: 978-0-578-42909-0
—Retail Price: $80