Chien-Chi Chang
Encyclopedia
Chien-Chi Chang is a Taiwan
ese photographer and member of the Magnum Photos
agency.
in 1961, he earned his BA from Soochow University
in 1984 and an MS from Indiana University
in 1990. He has worked for The Seattle Times
(1991-1993) and The Baltimore Sun
(1994-1995). Chang has documented the life of illegal immigrants in New York's Chinatown
, but he is also known for documenting his homeland of Taiwan. He won the W. Eugene Smith
Fund for Humanistic Photography in 1999. In 2004 he married an ex-journalist who is currently the president of the Radio Taiwan International. He lives in Taipei and in New York City.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese photographer and member of the Magnum Photos
Magnum Photos
Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices located in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo...
agency.
Life
Born to working-class parents in central TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in 1961, he earned his BA from Soochow University
Soochow University (Taiwan)
Soochow University is a private university located in Taipei, Taiwan. Although the Soochow University in Taiwan maintains a church and a Methodist minister in residence, it may be considered a secular institution...
in 1984 and an MS from Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
in 1990. He has worked for The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
(1991-1993) and The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
(1994-1995). Chang has documented the life of illegal immigrants in New York's Chinatown
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
, but he is also known for documenting his homeland of Taiwan. He won the W. Eugene Smith
W. Eugene Smith
William Eugene Smith was an American photojournalist known for his refusal to compromise professional standards and his brutally vivid World War II photographs.- Life and work :...
Fund for Humanistic Photography in 1999. In 2004 he married an ex-journalist who is currently the president of the Radio Taiwan International. He lives in Taipei and in New York City.
Notable works
His photographic work, which deals with the "abstract concepts of alienation and connection" and "draws on his own deeply divided immigrant experience," includes:- I Do I Do I Do (published by Ivy Liu/Premier Foundation 2001): in response to his parents' pressure to marry, Chang began photographing newlywed couples in Taiwan. The work has been repeatedly described as "a jaundiced look at marriage", including images such as a couple still in their wedding garb asleep separately at the back of a limousineLimousineA limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
, and a bride picking a backdrop for her wedding photos in a field of ruins.
- The Chain (published by Trolley BooksTrolley BooksTrolley Books is an independent UK publisher, specialising in art and photography books. Areas covered by Trolley include social reportage, photojournalism/current affairs and contemporary art and architecture....
2002): documenting inmates at the Long Fa Tang ("Temple of the Dragon") in Taiwan. The inmates, numbering about 700, are mentally ill patients no longer recognized by their families. The mental institution's inmates work on the island's largest chicken farm, often chained together in pairs, separated only when they sleep.
External links
- Biography and works at Magnum website
- Short biography at W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund website (choose "1999: Chien-Chi Chang")
- Chang, Chien-Chi. Asian journey: Taiwan: a vanished place. TIME Asia, August 18—25, 2003.
- Chang, Chien-Chi. Escape from North Korea (photo gallery). National Geographic, February 2009.
- Lenzi, Iola. Chang Chien-Chi at the National Museum of Singapore. C-Arts, July 10, 2009.
- Chang, Chien-Chi. Land of shadows: as it emerges from isolation, the nation of Myanmar is caught between repression and reform, dark and light (photo gallery). National Geographic, August 2011.