Photographer Vivien Liu On Reflection

On the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the mainland, we challenged Vivien Liu, the winner of our #legend100hk Best Female Photographer Award, to capture contemporary Hong Kong. Armed with a Leica, she worked at high speed – and in heavy rain – to summon her muse.

The founder of Studio UNIT, Liu has practiced architecture for more than eight years in the United States, Canada, Britain, the mainland and in Hong Kong. Prior to launching her studio, Liu worked as an architect at REM Koolhaas’ OMA and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.

Known for an architectural style of shooting, Liu went in search of a different look. “My idea was to use the vibrant colours, which to me represent the mood of Hong Kong, to tie-in the work. It’s a little different from my previous style as I wanted to use this opportunity to create something new that’s intrinsic to Hong Kong. I hope these photos invoke some sort of nostalgic emotion when viewers associate the colours and textures with the city in which they live.”

 The artistic expression captured by these images create the narrative of a city that continues to evolve, inspire, surprise and beguile as it bears witness to the course of history. Take a moment to consider and reflect.