Born in Hong Kong in 1977, Kurt Tong was originally trained as a health visitor at the University of Liverpool. He has worked and traveled extensively across Europe, the Americas and Asia. In 1999, Kurt co-founded Prema Vasam, a charitable home for disabled and disadvantaged children in Chennai, South India.
Kurt became a full-time photographer in 2003. He was the winner of the Luis Valtuena International Humanitarian Photography Award and the City of Port St. Elpidio Prize with his first picture story documenting the treatment of disabled children in India. He worked for many other NGOs and covered stories from Female Infanticide to ballroom dancers.
He gained his Masters in documentary photography at the London College of Communications in 2006 and began working on much more personal projects. He has since been chosen as the winner of Photograph.Book.Now competition, the Hey, Hot Shot! competition and the Jerwood Photography Award.
Kurt’s photographs have been widely published and exhibited around the world at venues including: The Royal Academy, Impressions Gallery, Abbaye de Neumunster, Fotofest in Houston and solo shows at Compton Verney, Photofusion and Streetlevel Photoworks.
He is represented by Jen Bekman Gallery in New York and The Photographer's Gallery in London. His first monograph, ‘In Case it Rains in Heaven’ was published by Kehrer Verlag in 2011.
CV
Born in Hong Kong, 1977
2006-07 MA Photojournalism, London College of Communication
2000-01 BN (Hons) Bachelor of Nursing & (RHV) Health Visitor, University of Liverpool
1997-00 (RN) Registered Nurse, University of Liverpool
Solo Exhibitions
2013 The Queen, The Chairman and I, Galleri Image, Aarhus, Demark
The Queen, The Chairman and I, Identity Gallery Booth, Pulse New York, NYC, USA
The Queen, The Chairman and I, Victoria Gallery and Museum, Liverpool, UK
In Case it Rains in Heaven, Lange Nacht der Museen, Bestattungshaus Haller, Stuttgart, Germany
2012 The Queen, The Chairman and I, Horse Hospital, London, UK
In Case it Rains in Heaven, Jen Bekman Gallery, New York City, USA
2011 The Queen, The Chairman and I, Identity Gallery, Hong Kong
In Case it Rains in Heaven, Kemistry Gallery, London, UK
In Case it Rains in Heaven, Street Level, Glasgow, UK
2010 In Case it Rains in Heaven, Compton Verney, Warwickshire, UK
In Case it Rains in Heaven, Voirie, Biel, Switzerland. (Bieler Fotoage)
Memories, Dreams; Interrupted, Photofusion, London, UK
Farewell in Labrador/People's Park, Light House, Wolverhampton, UK
2006 Bitter Masala, Church of Nazzareno Civitavecchia, Rome
Selected Group Exhibitions
2013 Flash Forward Festival, Boston, USA
China Stories, Tbilisi Museum of Modern Art, Tbilisi, Georgia
Ten, Jen Bekman Gallery, NYC, USA
2012 Flash Forward 2012, Regent Park Arts and Cultural Center, Toronto, Canada
Pimp the Timp Vol II, Cologne, Germany
DIY: Photographers & Books, The Cleveland Museum of Art, USA
Terra Cognita, Noorderlicht Festival, Museum Dr8888, The Netherlands
Anniversary Show, Identity Gallery, Hong Kong
Art Asia, Art Melbourne 2012, Melbourne Australia
New Artists, The Photographers' Gallery, London, UK
In Case it Rains in Heaven, Festival Circulation(s), Paris, France
Open Salon, China House, Penang, Malaysia
2011 For You, Uno Art Space, Stuttgart, Germany (2 person show)
Open Salon, Galerie Huit, Arles, France
Flash Forward Festival, Flash Forward Group Show, Boston, USA
Wish you were here, The Little Black Gallery, London, UK
Print Sales at the Photographers' Gallery, Ambika P3, Uni. of Westminster, UK
Format 11, Right here, Right Now, Exposures from the Public Realm, Derby, UK
Exploration and Intervention, George and Jorgen, London, UK
2010 A Transient Life, Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong
Simulated Alternate Realities, 1A Space, Hong Kong
2nd Singapore International Photography Festival, Singapore
Format Preview, Troika Editions Gallery, London, UK
Flash Forward Festival, Flash Forward Group Show, Toronto, Canada
Chronique Hong Kongaises, Diorama Rue Raspail, Arles, France
2009 Christmas Show, Little Black Gallery, Chelsea, London, UK
Fotofest International Discoveries II, Vine Street Studio, Houston, USA
Crane Kalman Gallery, Brighton, UK
Hey Hot Shot Showcase, Jen Bekman Gallery, New York, USA
Summer Show, Host Gallery, London, UK
Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London, UK
152nd International Print Exhibition, Allen & Overy, London, UK
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth, Wales
Impressions Gallery, Bradford, UK
2008 Jerwood Photography Awards Winners Exhibition 2008
Jerwood Space, London
AOP Best of the Awards Show, AOP Gallery, London
Summer Show, Host Gallery, London
The Butterfly Effect, 23rd Biannual ALNAP Meeting, Madrid, Spain
2007 Photo Meeting, Abbaye de Neumunster, Luxembourg
Retrospective Exhibition, French Institute, Edinburgh
2006 Chinese Photographers’ Association, Chengdu, China
Ian Parry Scholarship Show, Getty Images Gallery, London
2005 Luis Valtuena International Humanitarian Photography Award Exhibition Including La Casa Encendida, Madrid, The Frontline Club, London
Hope for Homes, Hoopers Gallery, London
Awards
2012 European Publishers’ Award, Finalist.
Magenta Foundation, Flash Forward, Selected UK Winner
2011 STD Emerging Award, Encontros da Imagen, 2nd Place
Magenta Foundation, Flash Forward, UK Winner
2010 Troika/Format Exposure Award, Winner
Hey Hot Shot! Ne Plus Ultras
Magenta Foundation, Flash Forward, UK Winner
2009 Photography.Book.Now Editorial Category. Winner and 2nd runner-up
Hey Hot Shot, 2009 Edition, Winner
Leopold Godowsky Int. Colour Photography award, Nominee
Joop Swart Masterclass, Nominee
SFCP project competition, Finalist
Review Santa Fe, Participant
2008 The Jerwood Photography Awards, Winner
Lens Culture/Rhubarb Photo book Award, Winner
Magenta Award, Honourable Mentioned
AOP Open Award, Finalist
2007 Deutsche Bank Pyramid Award, Finalist
2006 British Journal of Photography,/Nikon Endframe Award, Finalist
2005 8th Luis Valtuena International Humanitarian Photography Award, Winner
Selected Publications
2011 Ming Pao Weekly, Hong Kong
ffwMag!, Brazil
Monthly Photo, Korea
2010 Nido, Germany
Flash Forward 2010, Magenta Foundation
Insight Magazine, Issue 4, Environment
Photographie, Die Papiermodelle, March
2009 Foto8, Issue 26
You Can Take it with you, Guardian Weekend Magazine, 14/11/09
Centrepiece, Independent on Sunday, 9/8/09
Yvi Magazine, Issue 3, March
New Light, Jerwood Foundation
2008 British Journal of Photography, Park Life, vol 155, no. 7713, March
Portfolio Magazine, Issue 48, November
Foto8, Issue 24, October
Flash Forward, Emerging Photographers
Image, Issue 396, September
British Journal of Photography, vol 155, no. 7677, March
2007 British Journal of Photography, vol 154, no. 7634, May
2006 The Sunday Times Magazine, ‘Great Lost moments’ 23/7/2006
Days Japan, Vol.3, No. 4, April
2005 Digital Photographer, September
Marie Claire, Our seven wonders of the world, August
British Medical Journal, vol. 331, July
BMA News, June
The Magazine, Beyond the Tan, Issue 32, March
British Journal of Photography, vol 152, no. 7520 Feb