Nancy Sheung

Nancy Sheung (Chinese: 常惠珍; 1914–1979) was a Hong Kong photographer known for her bold lines and frequent focus on female subjects. She was most active in the 1960s and 1970s.

Early life

Nancy Sheung was born Sheung Wai-chun in Suzhou, China, in 1914. She told her husband and family that she paid for her education by working in an opium den, and she rode a horse to school with a shotgun for safety; her family has stated that these stories should be taken with a grain of salt.[1]

Personal life

Sheung married merchant Pong Kuan-Wah in the mid-1930s. Together they moved to Hong Kong, where they had six children. Sheung founded and ran a construction company, sometimes acting as the family's primary breadwinner.[1] In the late 1950s, the construction industry slowed down due to a sluggish economy, giving Sheung more time to focus on her photography.[2]

Photography career

After attending a European photography exhibit in the 1950s, Sheung became interested in photography in her 40s. She purchased her first camera, a Rolleiflex, and apprenticed to Michael Leung, a prominent local photographer.[2] She joined the Photographic Society of Hong Kong in 1965, becoming its vice-president in the 1970s.[3]

Sheung is known as one of the few female photographers of Hong Kong in the 1960s and 1970s; most of her contemporaries were men.[3] She is also known for her use of dynamic, bold lines; portraits of women; architectural eye; and images of life in Hong Kong. Some of her most notable works include portraits of her daughter(s): The Pigtail,[i] The Long-Haired Girl[ii] and Staircase.[iii] Other interesting works include Zigzag,[iv] Under the Cross,[v] The Shadows,[vi] and Drum Yard.[vii]

Exhibitions

  • 23rd Hong Kong International Salon of Pictorial Photography 1968 (第廿三屆香港國際攝影沙龍). Hong Kong: The Photographic Society of Hong Kong, 1968.[4]
  • "Rare Encounters: Nancy Sheung's Portraits of Women in the 1960s" at Lumenvisum in March 2015.[5]
  • Exhibited at St Hugh's College, University of Oxford, in the Hamlin Gallery, from 15 October to 15 November, 2015.[3]
  • Sheung's work was exhibited at the Photo Oxford Festival in 2021, the first UK exhibition devoted to her work.[6]

Death

Sheung died of a heart attack in her darkroom in 1979.[1]

Notes

  1. ^ The Pigtail
  2. ^ The Long-Haired Girl
  3. ^ Staircase
  4. ^ Zigzag
  5. ^ Under the Cross
  6. ^ The Shadows
  7. ^ Drum Yard

References

  1. ^ a b c "Nancy Sheung Gallery". Hundred Heroines. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  2. ^ a b Beres, Tiffany Wai-Ying. "Rare Encounters: Nancy Sheung's Portraits of Hong Kong Women in the 1960s". Lumenvisum. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  3. ^ a b c Wood, Tessa (2021-10-13). "St Hugh's hosts exhibition featuring the photography of Nancy Sheung (1914–1979)". St Hugh's College. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  4. ^ Archive, Asia Art. "23rd Hong Kong International Salon of Pictorial Photography 1968". Asia Art Archive. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  5. ^ Lok, Evelyn (2015-03-12). "Nancy Sheung's powerful photos of Hong Kong women in the 60s". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  6. ^ Gilbert, Sarah (2021-10-15). "Discovering Hong Kong photographer Nancy Sheung – in pictures". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-27.