Photographers

Fan Ho (1931–2016) was a Shanghai-born, Hong Kong–based photographer, filmmaker, and actor celebrated as one of Asia’s great masters of street photography. Beginning his photographic practice at age fourteen with a Kodak Brownie and later a Rolleiflex, he created atmospheric images of 1950s–60s Hong Kong defined by strong geometry, dramatic lighting, and deep humanism. Often described as the “Cartier-Bresson of the East,” Ho patiently waited for decisive, unexpected moments within meticulously composed urban scenes of alleys, markets, workers, vendors, and children. During his prolific early career, he garnered over 280 international awards and became a Fellow of the Photographic Society of America, the Royal Photographic Society, and the Royal Society of Arts. Ho also acted in and directed films before retiring from the film industry at age 65. His photographs are held in major institutions worldwide, including M+ Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, SFMOMA, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.