Wong Kan Tai
黃勤帶
Born in 1957 on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, Kan Tai Wong embarked on a distinguished career as a photojournalist after joining the Hong Kong Press in the late 1970s. In the mid-1980s, he pursued his passion for photography by studying at the Tokyo Institute of Polytechnics (now Tokyo Polytechnic University).
In the late 2000s, Kan Tai co-founded Mahjong, a captivating bookazine, alongside four fellow photojournalists: Karl Chiu, Dustin Shum, Paul Yeung, and Vincent Yu. Mahjong is a self-published photo-zine that delves into compelling themes encompassing China, Japan, and Hong Kong.
Kan Tai’s remarkable photographic collections have garnered recognition, including ’89 Tiananmen, Hong Kong Walled City 2002–2007, Vajrayana, The Queen’s, Fukushima, Xinjiang 1980, Bardo Hong Kong 2019, and Diana Hong Kong 2014. His artistic contributions have been proudly acquired by institutions such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Currently, Kan Tai resides in both Hong Kong and Japan, continuing to capture the world through his lens.
In 2024, his publication '89 Tiananmen (Zen Foto Gallery, 2024) has won the Historical Book Award at the Arles Book Awards of Les Rencontres d’Arles.
Selected Publications
2007 "Hong Kong Walled City 2002-2007" Hulu Concept, Hong Kong
2011 "’89 Tiananmen" Mahjong Publishing, Hong Kong
2016 "VAJRAYANA" Inertia Books, Hong Kong
2017 "The Queen’s" Mahjong Publishing, Hong Kong
2018 "Fukushima" Mahjong Publishing, Hong Kong
2019 "Secret: 1842-1997" Mahjong Publishing, Hong Kong
2020 "Xinjiang1980" Mahjong Publishing, Hong Kong
2021 "Bardo Hong Kong 2019" Mahjong Publishing, Hong Kong
2022 "Diana Hong Kong 2014" Mahjong Publishing, Hong Kong
2024 "'89 Tiananmen" Zen Foto Gallery, Tokyo
2025 "Takuma Nakahira & Daido Moriyama: The story of Japanese photographers" ACO
Books, Hong Kong
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2002 “Millennium Faces – Chinese older people in the UK”, Islington South Library, London
2010–2011 “2010 Nobel Peace Prize: I have no enemies” Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, Norway
2015 “’89 Tiananmen: Remains for Collection” Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops, Cambodia
2017 Solo “8×10” exhibition, featuring works from The Queen’s, Vajrayana and ’89
Tiananmen ATUM SPACE, Hong Kong
2018 “The Fukushima Photography” At Light - Arts Empowering Lab, Macau
2023 “Diana & The Queen’s” Artellex gallery, Hong Kong
Selected Group Exhibitions
2021 “Beijing_Kilometers” JCCAC Gallery, Hong Kong
Awards
Collections
Hong Kong Heritage Museum
