Martha Finger at ‘Hats’
Late photographer Jhane Hoang (center) and some of her subjects, including fashion models and musicians
Jhane, who was just 50 years old, was a Vietnamese American who, as I understood it, pumped the brakes on her career as a rising star in New York’s edgy, high-end creative set, to return home to Houston in recent years to be closer to ailing family members. This must’ve been a nod to the traditions and requirements of her culture, which was a poignant counterpoint to her progressive energy. She was a daring artist, and a cherished member of the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
When another friend and sometime collaborator, Rene Garza, suggested we throw in with Jhane and assign her some photos, we took the step cautiously; it’s kind of rare that such friend-of-a-friend referrals work out. But we were immediately taken with her skills and commitment to her artistic vision. The latter wasn’t always easy to navigate, honestly, and, on any given shoot, it wasn’t unusual for me to recede into a corner wondering, who’s in charge here?
With Jhane, the answer was never really her — or me, certainly — but the project itself. The creative goals, the rich and evocative images she saw in her mind’s eye before the shutter ever started to snap. And, in service to the dreams in her head, she spent hours upon hours adjusting lights, repositioning subjects, tweaking styling.
One shoot I well remember was for our annual Sexy Issue. Jhane and I took an entire crew and four models to the Four Seasons in New Orleans. Despite that we had limited time in which to shoot racks full of runway looks sent to us from major fashion houses, Jhane lingered meticulously over a setup involving shirtless models in blue jeans writhing in the grass. She (and the gracious models) persevered until Jhane got the shot — even through a thunderstorm that snuck up on us.
As much as I loved working with Jhane on such steamy shoots — and on other fashion spreads shot on locations such as the Houston Zoo and Museum of Natural Science — I think I was most impressed with her portraits of everyday folks. You could argue it’s easier to make a hot model with his shirt off look appealing than to make, say, a diminutive restaurateur or a late-career doctor come off as well. Which is why we often asked her to help with our “Leaders & Legends” and “Cool 100” collections.
Nobody could bring out the inner-sexy-model in a civilian like Jhane. It was partly her patience with and mastery of the technical demands of getting a great photo.
But it was mostly … just her. There was something she exuded that signaled that she was at once a badass, seriously artsy, cigarette-smoke-blowing fashion photographer with New York City cred, and a gentle sweetheart from H-Town who just wanted to vibe with you and make you look nice. And, if occasionally she made an editor push his print deadline as she pored over every nook and cranny of a picture in Photoshop, you just went along with it. Oh, that Jhane.
The second of Jhane’s memorial services is taking place this week, and I’m told there will be a retrospective of her work. My colleague Patrick Magee, former CityBook creative director, who worked more closely with her and her images than anyone, has gathered up some of his favorites here.
Godspeed, Jhane Hoang. Thank you for your rare depth as an artist and commitment as a friend. You are missed.
Models Luke Keogh and Marion Sealy
Lynn Wyatt and Oscar Wyatt
Olympic hopeful Jeffrey Louis
Artist David Adickes
UH Chancellor Renu Khator
Chef Alexandra Peña
Author Mimi Swartz
Entrepreneur Colby Smith
Artist Tony Paraná
Fisherman and environmentalist Raz Halili
Author Bryan Washington
Model Isabel Li
Model Joao Diniz
Musician Madeline Edwards
Musician Youth Soul Love
Pioneering cardiovascular surgeon O. H. "Bud" Frazier
John Bryan, Mary Jon Bryan, Billy Bob Thornton, J.P. Bryan
Before dinner, guests explored the museum’s immersive exhibits, including a Boomtown-inspired façade, a Spindletop Saloon serving the night’s signature Rob Roy cocktails and a recreated 1980s oil executive office — complete with a vintage computer and slideshow of Astrodome-era memories.
Art lovers flocked to the Kermit Oliver & Hermès exhibition, featuring the work of Oliver — the first American artist to design scarves for the French luxury house. The collection of paintings and fashion pieces was recently featured in Garden & Gun and Texas Monthly.
During the program, J.P. Bryan offered heartfelt remarks about the honorees, who were each awarded a custom History Medal of Honor containing a rare silver coin from the 1500s.
Rodeo Houston auctioneer Randolph Holford kept the crowd on their toes, leading a lively auction featuring dream-worthy getaways (The Broadmoor, San Miguel de Allende, Croatia), a Versailles gala experience and even a chance to invest in a racehorse.
Dinner from Culinaire included a Gulf Coast wedge salad with shrimp and candied bacon, followed by an Angus filet with truffled potato purée and long bean lariat. And, can't have a gala in Texas without a decadent butter cake layered with chocolate, pecans, and cream cheese filling for dessert.
Then came the big finale: a performance by Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters, who delivered a crowd-pleasing set on the museum lawn. Earlier in the evening, VIPs enjoyed a private meet-and-greet with the Landman star inside the museum.
In total, the gala raised over $1.3 million in support of The Bryan Museum’s education and outreach programs.
Scott Rice, Kelley Sullivan Georgiades and George Georgiades
Kelli and Eddy Blanton
Kirby McCool, Lindsay Holstead, and Courtney Hopson
Russell & Jolyn Scheirman
Nicki and John Morris
Ernie and Janet Cockrell, Stephanie and Ernie Cockrell
Terry and Tom Smith
Dr. Jochen Reiser and Gerri Popov
Dianne and Fred Burns