Chih Hsien Chen
Taiwan's Cultural Revolution
I know absolutely nothing about Taiwan. Of its history, of its hardships, of its hopes. Some 25 million people live on the island in East Asia, whose republic was proclaimed on January 1, 1912, after the Xinhai Revolution on the Chinese mainland. Chih Hsien Chen is one of these roughly 25 million people. And I want to know more about him and his people.
The artist studied at Tainan University of Technology, also known as Tainan Tech, in the south of the country. He has dedicated his life to photography, through which he immortalizes the youth culture of his countrymen on paper and on the Internet. As in the works of Japan's Miri Matsufuji or China's Ren Hang, one senses the youthful rebellion shining in the eyes of the protagonists.
The images themselves are colorful without being cloying. Beautiful without being obsolete. Attractive without seeming cheap. The sad truth is that I know absolutely nothing of Taiwan. Of its history, of its hardships, of its hopes. But through Chih Hsien Chen's photographs, I feel a small step closer to the young culture of this foreign country.
Monday, January 2, 2023
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