Artist Statement

As a Chinese woman who migrated to America in childhood, I always saw Chinese women, including myself, being influenced by the patriarchal society around my neighbors despite they migrated to America. I realized this concern when I saw women around my neighborhood doing what their husbands expected: staying indoors, taking care of children, and doing house chores. I felt like half of their life had been bonded with children, unable to pursue what they wanted. 

Throughout many years of living in New York, I’ve been trying to stand out and call a voice for Chinese immigrant women. Recently, I got in touch with photography and discovered documentary photography. It opened a door for me to express my voice for women other than essays and paperwork. During my research on the topic of women’s rights and justice, some works of American women photographers gave me the idea, especially Cindy Sherman and Nan Goldin; these two photographers’ work inspired me the most. Especially Cindy Sherman’s work, her photos of herself dressed up and playing different roles of women characters originating from the film series. Each role character that Cindy Sherman played represented women in various fields of work while pointing out the women stereotype. Her work inspired me to take photos of Chinese women of different ages and different fields of work as a comparison to convey women’s rights through what they’re doing in their work. Instead of doing what Cindy Sherman does, I want to approach a bit toward Nan Goldin’s photo series, where Goldin documented her and her friends’ lifestyle to have a voice for women and third-gender minorities. I want to alert the Chinese community about the importance of women’s rights with documentary photos of women doing their daily tasks or work.

I photographed four women in different age stages in my project: young adults, women in their mid-30s and 40s, and grannies. While photographing them, I recognized no matter whether it was working all night in a restaurant, spending hours in a cafe or home for an assignment, or agreeing to participate in my project, the participants delivered something to me about how women should be economically and academically independent for ourselves through their actions and what they’re trying to achieve. Despite the participants being super busy with their tasks, they’re still willing to contribute their words to my project as their voice for women’s right to accomplish their goals and how women should be economically and physically independent.