Studio 8 Hong Kong Publishing Ltd

IMMDEDIATE RELEASE

CANADIAN-BORN CHINESE ARCHITECT-CUM-PHOTOGRAPHER
LAUNCHES DEBUT BOOK THE ASIAN MALE – PHOTOGRAPHY BY NORM YIP

May 3, 2005 – Born in the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan, Norm Yip shifted from well-paid architect to photographer and artist four years after moving to Hong Kong in 1994. 'The Asian Male - Photography by Norm Yip' is his first ever publication, a coffee table book featuring eighteen models from Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany and the USA -- all taken over a five-year period from 2000-2004.

Disenchanted and uninspired as an architect, Norm Yip began doing what he loves best: photography and art. For five years between 2000 and 2004, he collected more than five thousand images of Asian men to compile his first self-published book entitled ‘The Asian Male – Photography by Norm Yip.'

Subtitled 1.AM to represent the first edition, the book contains a stunning collection of beautiful Asian men from Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Germany and the US. With a range of full body nudes, abstract compositions and portraits, the final selection of forty images have been said to be sensuous, erotic, pensive and poetic. His models have lean to muscular physiques and range from ages twenty-one to thirty-eight.

In the book’s artist statement, Norm writes, “I believe that when I photograph someone, I am searching for what is already there, whether it be joy, sorrow, longing or elation. It would not matter if my models were nude or clothed. A photograph that captures the true Spirit or essence of a person, and not simply the façade, is what I try to extract from the individual.”

Norm says, “I was deeply inspired by the work of American photographer Herb Ritts and I wanted to raise the level of photography of the Asian male to fine art. It has been done with many Caucasian men in North America, Europe and elsewhere, but rarely with Asians.”

Norm elaborates, “Having the images alone on my website was good, but then I began receiving emails asking me if I was going to publish a book. I soon realized that I needed to move beyond the virtual world of the internet and to have something tangible in my hands. Eventually, this book became a very personal project. I felt it was necessary as a photographer and an artist.”

About the Photographer and Author
Norm worked for a number of architectural firms in Canada and Hong Kong before leaving the field to pursue his deeper interest in art and photography. Norm Yip’s photographs of Asian males have appeared in international publications such as 2blue and Dreamboys 2. Celebrities he has photographed include Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Vonda Shepard, Destiny’s Child and Zhanghi Yimou. Aside from photography, Norm’s enigmatic graphite drawings have garnered recognition in the area of spiritual art, with his most recent inclusion in the art book 'Eyes of the Soul,' edited by Professor Philip-Jacobson Rubinov, forwarded by American philosopher Ken Wilber.

About the Book
‘The Asian Male – Photography by Norm Yip’ is a 9” x 12” hard cover edition containing 48 pages, printed on 250gsm fine art matt paper. (Studio 8 Hong Kong Publishing Ltd. ISBN 988-98259-1-0, US$44.95). It is currently available in selected bookstores in Hong Kong and will soon be available in the USA, Canada and Australia in May/June 2005. The book is also available online from the website www.studio8hongkong.com.

Enquiries: Please contact Norm Yip, Publisher, Studio 8 Publishing Limited. Tel/Fax: +852 25406267. Email: info@studio8hongkong.com

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