Victor Liu
Ever wondered what old Hong Kong really looked like? Victor Liu brings colors back to black-and-white historical photographs of the city. The founder of Colourised Hong Kong tells Yannie Chan about hunting down the palettes of the past.
HK Magazine: What, you’ve got a problem with black and white?
Victor Liu: Not at all. They make photos more artistic, but black and white used to be the only option. Color brings a little more perspective to what life was like and helps people to see details better. I hope what I do can arouse interest in old Hong Kong.
HK: Why do you enjoy colorizing?
VL: You have to dig deep into the photo’s history. For example, the HSBC building has gone through several iterations: to colorize it, I needed to know who designed it, the building style, and so on. Sometimes it takes a long time to determine the correct shade. Often you have to be patient and let the colors come to you.
HK: Which photos are the hardest?
VL: Street photos are very difficult. Sometimes I avoid them, because I don’t colorize a photo unless I’m confident about the exact colors. Portraits only take a couple of hours, but street photos can take weeks.
HK: Can you nail down the exact shade?
VL: Making the photo authentic is very important, or you lose the whole point. I worry about the accuracy of my photos. There are some comments saying, “The policeman’s uniform is not that color!” I painted it green and someone said it should be dark blue or black. I don’t know for sure, but the research I’ve done points to green.
HK: What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about Hong Kong?
VL: Take this photo (below) by German photographer Hedda Morrison, who came to Hong Kong after WWII. This is Statue Square, and the statue of Queen Victoria is missing—gone, to Japan! They needed metal to make weapons. Fortunately the statue survived, and now it’s in Victoria Park.
