Red is the colour of luck, joy, weddings and the Lunar New Year, so it's appropriate that the new photo display at Louis Vuitton in Tsim Sha Tsui is called Red. With about 60 works by highly regarded local artist So Hing-keung, the opening reception on Thursday evening literally had guests seeing red. 'I always have a special feeling for the colour, like all Chinese people,' So (right) said. 'Since it's Chinese New Year, I wanted to bring happiness and joy into the exhibition. It's especially important since we have a struggling economy at the moment.' A professional photographer for 20 years, So said his passion remained undiminished, although he felt the discipline of taking pictures had been slightly dimmed with the explosion of digital cameras. 'Photography is my life. I love the way cameras can capture a very specific moment on film, not only how it looks but also the mood of the scene, so directly and vividly. With digital cameras, anyone can call themselves a photographer. However, it certainly takes more than just pushing a button to become a good one.' Speaking of red, one wonders if LV chose So over other more costly international artists for the display because of, well, the red on the bottom line? Other than a celebrity like Chow Yun-fat, this is the Louis Vuitton gallery's first exhibition with a truly local artist. The show continues until the end of April.
