Stanley Fung. Saint Anonymous

About

Stanley FUNG as a creator working in Photo-Imagery Art, his vocation is a Christian clergy. More than a small hobby aside from the service to God, The work of Fung in his own words, “is part of the religious contemplation, from which he is born, and, is willing die for.”
The portrait work Saint Anonymous has gone beyond the spectrum of objective depiction. These works may be seen as “poetic portrait of soul”, taking Christian humanity as its foundation, and constructing a drama within a single frame, to tell a unique view of humanity. It is based on this view of humanity that each individual in his work is not an accident derived from a series of contingent coincidence in the vast universe, nor a Naked Ape, nor a subject of desire, nor cultural animal; yet a coalescence of substance and divinity – an anxious finite being endowed with eternal consciousness.
Moreover, the work of Fung reflects his interests in time and history of humanity. His time-consciousness is not a circulated close universe, but opens to the ultimate goal created by God; and history, in his view, is an obscure way in an extremely slow manner to reveal the presence of God.

“ For him, photography is not only an artistic method for expressing the self, but a way to photograph the souls of mankind.  In the history of portrait photography, Edward Curtis, whose works are mostly those of North American Indians, is without a doubt the foremost pioneer in using photography to capture the soul.  Although he found it difficult not to be influenced by Curtis and his works, Fung still managed to create his own style, which is an amazing feat.  As a pastor, Fung discovered hints of biblical revelations amongst his fellow church members.  From this, he successfully conveyed the magical powers of faith, those that make one feel calm, fulfilled, strong, and satisfied.  These portraits exude a sense of spiritual sublimation, and express that even a humble mortal can also become extraordinary. The strongest characteristics of photography lie in capturing a moment.  Fung’s works seem to do exactly the opposite, and are more like a slow release of the flow of time.  The world is never devoid of confrontations between right and wrong, or a tug of war between good and evil.  Human nature has always hovered between a bestial nature and divinity.  What he captures is actually the process of awakening that occurs when one goes from being lost to being enlightened.  Only with faith can one distinguish between right and wrong.  From Fung’s works, we indeed see a search for redemption.” - Yuan Yi-zhong, Dust Icons, Sept. 2011.