BRIEFING ABOUT Seven YCH
Seven YCH was born in Taiwan. He started to practice his modern art photography while he was at the university in the 90‘s. He graduated with M.A. in film directing from Beijing Film Academy in 2002. He has had different photography series taken in Asia, Europe and North America.
Seven YCH is interested in exploring the contrary meaning and value in the objects he photographs. He likes to embrace the warmth in the coldness and serendipity amidst chaos, and to evoke immensity from insignificance and abstract from certainty. His works have been published in magazines and newspapers, internationally exhibited in 5-star hotel lounges and galleries, and possessed by private corporations and collectors all over the world. The critics describe his artworks being “profound images as beautiful as music and rhythm”, and “a combination of silence and solitude”.
Seven YCH is, at the same time, an award-wining poet and writer. In addition, the documentaries he directed have won a national prize in China and been selected in Austin Film Festival in the USA.
Seven YCH 對於現代攝影藝術的創作與實踐,迄今十餘年。 在攝影方面,他的創作內容取景地域廣闊,涵蓋亞歐美三洲。Seven YCH 嘗試以鏡頭 索求被攝對象於視覺經驗之外,所呈現出的相對定義與美感。從冷冽裡找尋溫煦,從雜 蕪中找尋靜謐,從渺小找尋不凡,從確定性裡找尋未知。他的作品除於國內副刊雜誌發 表,於國內外高級飯店與藝廊展覽,還為各國的私人企業和收藏家所收藏。
Seven YCH 也是一名詩人和作家,曾於台灣獲得新詩競賽首獎,各式文類見諸兩岸報 章雜誌。他也執導影視短片和紀錄片,作品曾於中國獲獎,也曾獲美國奧斯汀影展遴選 參展。
EDUCATION
1999- 2002 Master Degree in Film-Directing, BFA (Beijing Film Academy), Beijing, CHINA
1992- 1996 Bachelor Degree Of Art, National ChengChi University, Taipei, TAIWAN
What is your definition of being at home?
對你來說，家的感覺是什麼？
In my opinion, being at home is when you accommodate yourself with the food and the climate, and then you start to feel at home. In the different cities I have been living in, sometimes it was challenging to explore new tastes, new savories but also challenging to get used to different weather conditions… Being at home, means that you feel secure, you feel safe.
家的感覺，攸關於料理和氣候。
居住在不同城市，要適應新的味道、新的溫度、新的覺知。當某一天我突然發現自己不再為了吃東西和穿衣服的選擇而思考，我就是適應了，覺得心安了。
Different homes… Where was your home in those cities?
在這些城市裡，你住在哪一區呢？
In Taichung, my home was in Bei Tuan. 在台中，我住在北屯。
In Taipei, my home was in Muzha. 在台北，我住在木柵。
In Beijing, my home was in Hai Dian. 在北京，我住在海淀。
In Shanghai, my home was in QuLu Lu, in the French Concession. 在上海，我住在法租界的巨鹿路上。
In New York, my home was in Astoria in Queens. 在紐約，我住過皇后區。
In Istanbul, my home was in the Old Town. 在伊斯坦堡，我住過舊城區。
Homesick?
會想家嗎？
Yes sometimes [Laughing]… so I cooked! This is my secret! Wherever I go, when I feel homesick I need to cook and I need to eat some rice. In fact, eating rice reminds me about where I come from. Cooking rice is my way to re-connect with my inner home.
還是會<哈哈>。
不過想的時候就下廚，這是我的祕方。不管住在哪裡，想家的時候我就做飯，也一定要吃飯。米飯是我和家鄉最直接的親密連結，可以說是我肚子裡的故鄉。
You feel at home when you are accepted. Did you experience being not accepted?
曾經在異鄉感覺格格不入嗎？
Mostly, I felt welcomed. I enjoyed meeting new people, exploring new cultures. In some cities out of Asia like New York or Amsterdam, I felt very much accepted because they are cities built-up and developed with lot migrants, so I have never really felt being an outsider. However, in Istanbul, things were unlike New York and Amsterdam. That’s the only place where I experienced how foreigners must feel when they come to Taiwan. I mean there was no so many Asian looking people in Istanbul, so indeed when I was in the streets, I sensed that I was observed and scrutinized. So I do believe that this is something that outsiders can also feel in Taiwan.
大多數的時候我覺得很自在。我喜歡接觸新的人事物，新的感受和衝擊。在紐約和阿姆斯特丹，我特別覺得自己被接受，因為周遭的環境充滿多元種族融合的能量。在伊斯坦堡就有些許的不同。雖然也是歐亞交界的薈萃大城，但因為有些城區亞洲臉孔還是很稀少，有時我會覺得自己就是外來的異鄉人，可以體會西方人在台灣某些角落所感受到的搜奇眼光。
How <Home> has influenced your Art inspiration?
<家>這個概念如何影響了你的創作？
<Home> has been inspiring all the time indeed. <Home> is something I try to get closer by completing my life puzzle prototype / layout. In my own world, in my different series, I replace <home> by the word <texture>. The reality is, <texture> is everywhere: this is an element of every human being, of every emotion, of every circumstance. So does <home>, this is something that is always calling inside of us.
<家>是我創作中的一個核心命題，是我找尋我內在拼圖版的一道關鍵線索。
在各個系列作品中，我以<原生質地>來替代<家>這個概念。原生質地指得就是每一個生命、每一種情緒、每一次事件的本質，也是我所有作品的探討指涉。
In which of your Art work <Home> is a key underlying of your inspiration?
可以舉例說明嗎？
I would mention two of my artworks.
比方我的兩個系列，<紅色>與<動詞>。
Firstly, ”Red” – “Red” is series that I took in Istanbul. This series is made from simple imagery translating simple emotions. I chose this minimalistic approach to also allow myself to work on some red post-productions effects: shaping and re-shaping, red color calibrating, compositions… Those shapes, those colors variations represent myself when I was in Istanbul. I was an outsider over there, so I have found this way to express my conflicts, my struggles, my connections I made when I was living there.
<紅色>是我在伊斯坦堡所完成的系列。我以簡單的物件細節來捕捉情緒的微妙，然後加以紅色區塊的後製作業，反覆調整佈局。紅色是土耳其的代表色，紅色也代表生命或者死亡，在黑白環境裡的紅色區塊，也可以是矛盾、掙扎、或者是綻放的連結。
The second artwork worth to mention is “Verb”. This is a series shot in many different countries and cities showing chairs: new chairs, broken chairs, abandoned chairs, old chairs… For me it’s very iconic, it’s the representation of daily life in many action verbs such as: to sit / to watch / to sleep / to eat / to stay / to leave. Verbs are iconic symbols of who we are and how we live. So by chasing those verbs, I actually try to reveal our life <texture> through these imagery-using chairs as a visual.
<動詞>系列是在世界各地的城市所拍攝的，主題物件是椅子，新的、舊的、破敗的、被遺棄的、各式各樣，椅子是個具有豐富象徵性的工具，在我們生活裡的坐、閱讀、午寐、進食、發呆或離開，許多都以椅子為背景而上演著。這系列我想挖掘的是動作背後的故事質地，椅子告訴了我畫面之外的悲歡離合的故事。
Beyond these two Art disciplines, any influence from your daily life?
除此之外，有沒有來自於日常生活的影響？
My personal route is also a key element…
My art career is definitely connected to my personal route. I was born and raised in Taiwan in single-parent family. My father was a successful businessman who raised me alone. He was not an Art lover per say, but he was devoted to family and he always tried to provide all the living conditions and education. His piece of advice for business was well received but I was more receptive to Art & Culture input coming from others.
我的故鄉和生長背景也是關鍵的因素。
我在單親家庭成長，父親是個成功的商人。他沒有特別對藝術懷有熱情，但全心全力為家庭安定和家人生活而工作奮鬥。在商業操做和行銷工作領域裡，他給予我很好的建議和典範，但在藝術相關領域，我就必須自學思考，不過也因為他的庇蔭，我可以無虞地進行很個人性的創作嘗試和研究，我很感謝他。
Artist credo: what’s your definition of being an artist?
如何定義你所認知的藝術家或創作者？
This is a big question… Being an artist is to let myself being aware of living every moment. This is also to look at things in very different and unique ways.
The mission of an artist is to remind oneself or to remind others that you are still alive…
這問題不太容易。。。
對我來說，身為一個藝術創作者，就是通過創作去感受當下。
以陌生化的手段去感受被忽略或者已然麻木的部份，創作者的使命，正是去提醒自己或他者，每一時刻的存在感受。
