WORKSHOP FILLED – APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED

WING SHYA: “TOKYO STORY”, MARCH 3-5, 2026, TOKYO, JAPAN

What elements of life make a place unique? What gives a city its distinct visual flavor, and can make the experience of standing in the middle of it an unforgettable moment in time? In acclaimed Hong Kong photographer and director Wing Shya’s 3-day Tokyo workshop, participants will be encouraged to explore the city’s bustling streets and alleys, and roam its seemingly limitless encountering possibilities day and night following both familiar and unknown paths in search of their own “Tokyo Story”.

The driving concept in Wing’s workshop will be to photograph Tokyo as a film set, and weave from it a series of rich, expressive images that together can speak loosely as a story. Through Wing’s lectures and directed assignments, group critiques and individual reviews, as well as one shooting session with him, participating photographers will construct the narrative outlines of their fictional movie inspired by his photography’s groundbreaking cinematic style and vibrant storytelling that echoes the world over to this day.

Strategies discussed and experimented with will draw from Wing’s 30-year career in the global film, fashion, and editorial industries. These will encourage fluid approaches mixing the observational with the emotional, and carefully staked out ideas next to serendipitous catches.

Participation is limited to 10 photographers, with currently all seats already filled. Applications are closed at this time.

Top banner image © Courtesy of Wing Shya: “Shu Qi and Daniel Wu”, for i-D, 2001; bottom banner image © Wing Shya, for The Independent Issue, No. 222, August 2002

SCHEDULE SUMMARY (subject to change)

Tuesday, March 3, 2026 (9:00 am – 5:00 pm)
Morning: (part I) workshop introduction; lecture by Wing Shya on his work and career;
(part II): participants portfolio group reviews; Tokyo assignments handed out
– – – Lunch break – – –
Early afternoon: participants portfolio group reviews cont’d
Late afternoon/Early Evening: practice shooting session on site with Wing (location tbc)
Night: participants start photographing for their Tokyo Story assignments

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 (10:00 am – 5:00 pm)
Morning: 1:1 meetings with Wing Shya (Group A, 30 minutes/participant x5)
– – – Lunch break – – –
Early afternoon: 1:1 meetings with Wing Shya cont’d (Group B, 30 minutes/participant x5)
[ Note: outside of their individual 30-minute meetings with Wing, participants continue working on their Tokyo Story assignments throughout the entire day and evening/night ]

Thursday, March 5, 2026 (10:00 am – 5:00 pm)
All day: “Tokyo Story” assignments final group reviews, and editing for the final workshop slideshow
Late afternoon: farewell drinks

ABOUT WING SHYA: 

Born in Hong Kong 1964. Wing Shya’s work encompasses the realms of film, art, design and fashion. After graduating from Emily Carr Institute in Canada, Wing Shya returned to Hong Kong and founded the award-winning design studio, Shya-La-La Workshop. Shya, who is renowned in typography and an outstanding graphic designer, has won numerous design awards for contributing numerous designs to the Hong Kong music and pop culture industries.

In 1997, appointed by Film Director Wong Kar-Wai as still photographer and graphic designer; Shya began collaborating with WKW on films Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, Eros and 2046. By the year 2019, the collaboration has evolved into numerous projects as conceptions by both individuals, ranging from motion pictures to art videos catering to top-tier brands like Saint Laurent, and more.

A now-recognized director, Shya began his venture in filmmaking by collaborating with musicians like Jacky Cheung and Vanessa Mae on music videos. In Spring 2010, Shya debuted his block-buster feature film, Hot Summer Days and continued to work on the sequel, Love in Space, which was released in Fall 2011. In 2010, invited by Rodarte; Shya conceived of a fashion-art film for their Maggie Cheung Collection, and in 2011, he was invited by YOOX to conceive of Lost Paradise, an art/fashion video for thecorner.com, China. Over the course of the 2010s, Shya continued to work on various videographic projects for commercial initiatives like Sacaii, MOTHER magazine, i-D magazine and musicians like Li Yuchun. In year 2022, Shya is expected to release a feature film produced by WKW.

Wing Shya made his return to fine art in March 2006. Invited by the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi, Tokyo; Shya was the first foreign photographer to exhibit at the museum with his inaugural show, Distraction/Attraction. In 2007, he was selected to exhibit in In Fashion 07, curated by Marion de Beaupré at Art Basel Miami, in which his works were first collected by an international calibre. In October the same year, he had a solo exhibition, Jealousy, at Xintiandi, Shanghai. Shya also took part in China Design Now in 2008, which was exhibited at V&A Museum. During the early 2010s, Shya exhibited with Louise Alexander Gallery of Italy and +81 Gallery both in Tokyo and New York. In November 2017, Shya showcased his well-received retrospective show at SCoP Shanghai, curated by Karen Smith, which the same show travelled to Xie Zilong Photography Museum in Changsha in the Spring of 2019. Curated again by Karen Smith, Shya exhibited his works in the year 2020 edition of Kyotographie. In 2021, Shelly Verthime curated “MOOD” for Shya at WF Central, Beijing.

https://www.wingshya.com/
@wingshya

WORKSHOP WITH
WING SHYA
TOKYO, JAPAN
03.03 – 05, 2026