Misty Copeland, New York City, 2015 courtesy of Annie Leibovitz

Portraits of the world’s most dynamic women taken by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz go on display in Kennedy Town on Friday June 3.

The exhibition, commissioned by UBS and simply titled ‘Women: New Portraits,’ showcases images of outstanding female humanitarians, actors, artists and businesspeople, including Malala Yousafzai, Sheryl Sandberg, Yoko Ono, Meryl Streep and Leibovitz’s former partner, Susan Sontag.

The exhibition marks the second phase of a project Leibovitz began in 1999, when she published a series of photographs called ‘Women.’ Leibowitz always considered the project a “work in progress.”

Leibovitz began her career as a photojournalist for Rolling Stone, where she produced the now fabled cover of John Lennon, naked, clinging to a clothed Yoko Ono. The photographer then went on to work for Vanity Fair, producing a plethora of iconic images like the 1991 nude portrait of a pregnant Demi Moore. She has also photographed for Vogue, and her work has been showcased at institutions like the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C, the Brooklyn Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in London.

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Leibovitz opened her Hong Kong show in person yesterday, where she discussed the genesis of the project and her photographic process.

Annie Leibovitz, New York City, 2012, courtesy of Annie Leibovitz

Why is this project important to you?

There was a piece in the paper this weekend that said even though there are well educated, professional women in Hong Kong, only 11 per cent of corporate board members are female. In the US it's not that much better at 20 per cent. The UK is 26 per cent and I think we should all move to Norway because it’s 40 per cent. Women's issues are certainly global issues.

 How do you get the most out of a subject?

I’m really not a great director when it comes to taking photographs. I really need projection from my subject. I’m a good journalist. I sometimes have people ask me, ‘how do you make them feel comfortable?’ and I say ‘I don’t.’ It really has a lot to do with them, and what they can project. I can’t really help them with taking their photograph.

 You’ve described your portrait of ballerina Misty Copeland as capturing a “milestone.” Why is this a significant image?

[Misty] was the first black prima ballerina in a major American ballet company. It was a very simple portrait, I knew exactly what I wanted from her. This was directed because my mother was a dancer and I had done a lot of dance work over the years.

How long does it take you to photograph a subject?

I find that as I get older I don’t like to spend as much time. I don’t think it should be a laboured process. In portrait photography if you don’t have it after a couple of hours then just stop. Get out of there and come back because it’s sort of like beating a dead horse.

 Why did you decide upon this unorthodox space to exhibit these images?

 I didn’t want a place that already had an identity. I wanted a place that we could claim for ourselves and also participate in the revitalization of that space. No one has been in this space for 20 years and I like the fact that it is a bit of old Hong Kong.

Women: New Portraits will run until June 26 at 3/F Cheung Hing Industrial Building, 12P Smithfield, Kennedy Town