More than 100 fortune tellers shops, located in this bare
concrete building behind a taoist temple in Hong Kong. Alleys
of good fortune with rows of shops spread over two floor levels.
Tiny shops that have been decorated by the owners. Converted
into little offices where they are waiting patiently for clients to
come by, shopping for good fortune.
Customer’s life will be read to see when is good time to marry,
finish that business deal, have a baby, buy that house, change
jobs, get advise on health & family issues, ...
The fortune tellers have different backgrounds. For some the
job is passed on from each generation to the next within a
family. Others learn it from a Master or through other means.
The future of the shops is uncertain however as finding
someone interested to take over is getting more and more
difficult. In meantime, the more good fortune one still can
provide, the better the business.
They offer mainly 4 types of fortune telling: face reading, palm
(hand) reading, fortune sticks predictions, and bazi (based on
numbers).
The series presents the fortune telling and the uniqueness of
this old traditional business that goes back centuries. It delves
into faith and superstition that still rules daily life in Asia in
many ways. Fortune tellers are sought by everyone and they
play a role in influencing the major decisions of an individual’s
life. In the end, fortune tellers do provide good service. They
can be considered as counselors on all kind of personal or
family issues or as management consultants on business
matters. The images submitted are a selection of the more than
100 booths taken (replicating in a way the alleys of the
building).
After 15 years in an industrial environment, photography is what I do now. I like taking pictures. Specializing in documentary work and in art photography. Born and raised in Belgium, I travelled the world. It is Singapore from where I span my activities across all Asia.
Awards 2013
-Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards : Ad Infinitum book shortlisted for the First Photobook Award
-Art of Photography (San Diego, USA):group exhibition curated by Julia Dolan (curator of photography Portlaand Art Museum). With The Fortune Tellers series.
-International Photography Awards (USA): honorable mentions in Portrait Culture with The Fortune Tellers
2011
-Art of Photography (San Diego, USA):group exhibition curated by Anne Lyden (ass. curator of photography J.Paul Getty Museum L.A.)
-Daylight-CDS Awards (USA) : juror’s pick Stacey Clarkson (Harper’s Magazine)
-International Photography Awards (USA): honorable mentions in Portrait and in Cityscapes
2010
-International Photography Festival Singapore: Biennale – group exhibition
-International Photography Awards (USA) : honorable mentions in Architecture and Portrait
2006
-International Photography Awards (USA): third place (Nature) ; honorable mentions in People Lifestyle, Architecture Interiors and in Architecture Bridges
2005
-International Photography Awards (USA): first place (Nature Trees); Honorable mentions in Advertising Food and in People Culture
