Tseng Kwong Chi
photographer
Tseng Kwong Chi (born Joseph Tseng; 1950–1990) was a Hong Kong-born American photographer who became a prominent figure in the New York East Village art scene during the 1980s. He is best known for his 'Expeditionary Series' (also called 'East Meets West'), a body of work featuring over 100 self-portraits where he posed in a Mao suit and sunglasses against iconic global landmarks, including Disneyland, the Statue of Liberty, and Notre Dame de Paris. Tseng was also deeply involved with artist Keith Haring, documenting Haring's graffiti and murals throughout New York City. He studied painting at Académie Julian in Paris before switching to photography. His work is held in the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.[5]
- self-portraiture
- East meets West
- graffiti documentation
- cultural identity
Books
Works by Tseng Kwong Chi
- 2008 Tseng Kwong Chi: Self Portraits 1979-1989 Co-authored/curated by Dan Cameron and Kenny Scharf.
- 2005 Ambiguous Ambassador
- 2015 Tseng Kwong Chi: Performing For the Camera Published in association with Chrysler Museum of Art and Grey Art Gallery.