Singapore Free Press – A Superb Show By Francis Wu – Great Artist And Skillful Technician – July 1, 1954

The Commissioner-General, Mr. Malcolm MacDonald discusses a picture with Mr. Francis Wu, famous Hong Kong photographer. Mr. MacDonald opened the exhibition of photographs by Francis Wu at the British Council Hall, Singapore.

Francis Wu’s photographic exhibition, which opened at the British Council Hall, Singapore, yesterday, is undoubtedly the finest one-man show I have seen presented in the Colony.

This Hong Kong photographer has a world reputation and the prints he has chosen for this exhibition show us how h deserved it.

Not only is he a great artist with the camera, but he is also a great technician, for in his work there is evidence of skill in processing which rivals the finest.

Mr. Wu thinks that his best work has been done in the portraiture field, but the quality, range and variety of his Singapore exhibition clearly show him as a photographer of distinction in almost every field.

Among his portraits, I like best the one of Sir Robert Ho-tung. In this fine sepia-toned print the camera has caught the character and wisdom in the handsome bearded face of one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated merchant princes.

Striking Studies

In contrast, alongside it, is an equally remarkable full face color portrait of Mr. Duncan MacIntosh, Hong Kong’s former Commissioner of Police, in ceremonial uniform.

But Mr. Wu is by no means only a photographer of the celebrated. There are some striking head studies which range from the early simplicity of peasant girls and fishermen to the smooth serenity of the “Goddess Of Peace”

The scenic studies are of rare quality. Here I like best the exquisite high-key pictures of dawn scenes in placid Hong Kong waters. The delicate texture of the backgrounds of mist an mountain contrast brilliantly with the sharp simplicity of the main subject, often a single junk.


In the technical tricks of photo-montage. Particularly in one fine nude, “Woman Behind The Camera” taken on his American tour, he shows again his lively creative ability and of course, the technique at his best

Mr. Loke Wan Tho, vice president of the Singapore Camera Club and the Council of the Singapore Art Society deserve our thanks for making it possible for us to see the work of this outstanding camera artist.

The exhibition which was opened yesterday by Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, the Commissioner-General of Singapore.