holditorloseit

In early 2023, after most Covid-related measures had been lifted, I spent about a month traveling and walking through Taichung City, Taiwan. Having previously lived there for nearly a year as a resident alien, I had become attuned to the city’s character and rhythm. During this trip, I deliberately sought to recall my first impressions of Taichung, particularly the complex yet often subtle street atmospheres across its districts and neighborhoods. Also, I have long been interested in exploring how the built environment shapes the ways we live and commute.

On a more personal level, this project gave me a reason to seek solitude, to get lost, and to remain motivated. Making candid photographs in the street—responding to spontaneous moments and uncontrollable factors—taught me to embrace chance and trust my instincts. Likewise, in continuing along my creative path, especially when the way forward is uncertain, I find it necessary to hold on to a kind of blind faith. As the Year of the Rabbit began, I was reminded of Sylvia Plath’s Lady Lazarus: “I am only thirty. And like the cat I have nine times to die.”