Exhibition “Visual Essay – Portrait” – Paul Huf

Solo Exhibition of Paul Huf (14 March 1924 – 9 January 2002)

Exhibition: ‘Visual Essay – Portrait Photography by Paul Huf’ in Shenzhen International Photography Week
Exhibition Period: 27 Oct 2017 – 6 Nov 2017

Paul Huf always reflects romance and elegance of the Dutch. The early portrait photography focused on the upper class figures of the Dutch who were guests of his parents. The aesthetic artistic style displays his preference for the stage effect of the nineteenth century and early movie styles. His skillful utilization of the surrealistic technique comes from the influence of pioneer art around him and his learning from the surrealistic master Man Ray, laying a foundation for his future career as a professional photographer. The adverting photography of Paul Huf is characterized by dramatic setting and artistic composition of various characters, which combines with the vanguard and fashionable artistic motive at that time, exhibiting substantial vanguard.

Paul Huf (1924-2002) is a famous Dutch Photography artist as well as the vanguard of commercial photography. A number of his works has been collected by Rijksmuseum (National Museum of the Netherlands). His representative works include portrait photographs for Queen Julian of Holland as well as famous people like Johan Cruijff, Wim Sonneveld, Willem Drees, etc., and the “Eye to Eye” series for commemorating the 100th anniversary of Van Gogh’s death, and so on. He shot a group of precious business image for the album cover of the Philips “PHILIPS FAVOURITES” (1956) which helped him to establish the position as the vanguard of modern commercial photography. His ” Vakmanschap is Meestershap ” series, photographed for Dutch Grolsch, successfully recorded the cautious and conscientious Dutch people and the exquisite Holland craftsmanship. The social awareness and identity exhibited by the works surpass the function of commercial photography and tend to be documentary photography.