Charles Chao Wang

Year of birth: 1995.
Where do you live: Shanghai.
Your education: Master of Arts with distinction, graduated from University of Arts London.
Describe your art in three words: Peace, Freedom, Power.
Your discipline: Photography.
Your work is deeply influenced by Zen philosophy and nature.
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How did you first become interested in incorporating these elements into your photography?

In the early stages of creative works, I tried to find out what my own instinctive desires were, what I had longed for. I tried to understand myself more clearly. After continuous thinking, I decided to make a breakthrough in one of my habits. In the past ten years or so, I often rode a motorcycle alone in my hometown of Shanghai, and most of the places I rode were in the countryside, where the quiet roads and the vibrant nature surrounded me. I found that behind this behavior was my greatest desire in life, and then I started to read a lot of books and materials to study it in depth, and fortunately I came across the Zen philosophy of D.T. Suzuki, and realized that riding a motorcycle alone in the countryside and the theory of Zen meditation had something in common with each other for me, and that both of them could make me feel calm and amplify my perception, and that I could obtain my creativity through riding and Zen practice. I get inspiration for my work through riding and practicing Zen. In the process of practicing Zen, I realized that nature has a healing effect on me. My childhood home is on the edge of a wheat field in the suburbs of Shanghai, and my fondness for nature is deeply buried in my memories, and this part of my memories is perhaps the most joyful experience for me, and most of my works are full of emotions, and photography is the most important way of self-healing for me.

Charles Chao Wang | Nobody Spaces

Social commentary and spiritual healing seem to be key themes in your art. How do you balance these two elements in your work, and what impact do you hope to have on your audience?

Social commentary is mostly the source of inspiration in my work, while spiritual healing is the aspiration and aim of my art practice, and the two complement each other in my work.

I hope that my photographs can provide the viewer with a way to cope with the feeling of powerlessness in situations that cannot be changed, to detach ourselves from the emotions of the moment, to take a deep breath, and to feel the peace that comes from within.

Charles Chao Wang | Allow To Be

Your project “Allow To Be” focuses on the societal constraints placed on women in contemporary Chinese society. Could you share more about what inspired this project and how you approached capturing this theme?

The inspiration for this project came from a female friend of mine who returned to her hometown after receiving a Western education. The two cultures clashed strongly, and I was deeply touched by her courage in questioning traditions and standing up for herself in the face of public opinion. I began to pay attention to some women’s issues in China, and I realized that Chinese women’s mindset is still largely controlled by various power institutions, such as social media and the press, which reminds me of Foucault’s theory of the panoramic view of the prison. The power of these institutions is mostly in the hands of men, so I use some symbols of male power in my works, such as fire extinguishers, carts, tires, etc., and at the same time, I spray these things with soft colors in an attempt to “feminize” these things. In my opinion, the gender equality pursued by Chinese women is to a certain extent detached from reality in the current Chinese society.

In “Away Way,” you explore Taoist principles like “the unity of heaven and man.” How do you see these philosophies intersecting with your personal experiences growing up in China?

I believe that for the younger generation growing up in China, many mental illnesses are due to social problems. Under the long history of oppression and curbing of nature, it is difficult for young Chinese people to have a healthy mental state. And Chinese society as a whole does not value the mental health of its people. Mental illnesses are marginalized, and from childhood to youth, many young Chinese people live on a mapped out path, and few are able to think about what they really want to pursue in their lives in such an environment. I am just like one of the above mentioned young people, as a teenager, I questioned the authority and the homogenized brainwashing education, but I couldn’t change any of the external environment, during high school I had a serious depression, it was not until I came into contact with photography and contemporary art that I had a way to express my emotions and my mental problems were cured. During the course of the project, I learned about Taoist philosophy, the idea of “the unity of heaven and mankind”, which aims to develop the inner strength of each person, to let nature take its course in the face of force majeure, and to accept the present moment. This was exactly what I needed. My upbringing in China has pushed me closer to these ideas, and through practicing Zen and meditation, I have come to understand myself and reconcile with my past.

Charles Chao Wang | Away Way

Your work, such as in the project “Nobody Spaces,” addresses the isolation experienced during the pandemic. How did your own experiences during this time shape the creation of this project?

I was in London during the enforced lockdown of the Shanghai pandemic. As my family and friends were in Shanghai, I kept in close contact with them on a daily basis, during their 2 months of enforced quarantine at home, during which time there were food shortages, emotional breakdowns. I tried to help them find some of the good things about the situation as I continued to encourage and reassure them. As I continued to encourage and comfort them, I tried to help them find something beautiful in the situation, I would ask them to take selfies at home every day and send them to me, and I found something interesting in their selfies, which is how the project “Nobody Spaces” took shape.

Being in London at that time, I felt the pain of my family and friends from an onlooker’s point of view, and it was the first time that I strongly experienced the insignificance and powerlessness of the individual in the face of a powerful system. As the myth of Sisyphus describes, all we can do is change our mindset in the face of powerlessness. I am currently still working on the project “Nobody Spaces”, through which I hope to show the greatness and power of the individual, and to challenge the system of contempt for the individual.

Many of your projects aim to create a form of utopia. How do you envision your ideal utopia, and what role does photography play in its creation?

Yes, many of my works present an image of a utopia. In my opinion, my ideal utopia is one that can free people from social values, where people can live freely within the limits of morality and law, where everyone has his or her own thoughts, and where people can feel peace and strength from within.

Photography, on the other hand, is the carrier of my thoughts. For me, photography is both close to reality and can show beyond reality.

Your art reflects on both personal memories and societal issues. How do you navigate the tension between these two when you create new work?

I think the causes behind both good and painful memories are more or less rooted in social issues, and the good and painful things in my personal memories will become my creative inspiration. For example, my new project on the urbanization of my hometown, which I started shooting this year, is inspired by my longing for my hometown and my helplessness in the face of the government’s forced conversion of ancient buildings into modern tourist attractions. My hometown is a 1,000 year old town that I have lived in since I was born, and after completing my undergraduate degree I left to pursue a career as a photographer in a more developed area, the town was a spiritual anchor for me as I drifted and moved around. Nowadays, however, this old town is becoming stranger to me day by day, with historic houses and buildings being demolished and rebuilt in their place as gorgeous, vapid shells under the government’s remodeling. The local residents and I understand that the government wants to develop and develop the local tourism and culture, but the government has neglected the heritage of the traditional culture and the destruction of the local community. Many of the local residents have lived in the town since birth, but are now forced to move out of their homes and into government-arranged apartment buildings. For this project, I was faced with the insignificance and helplessness of personal emotions and memories in the face of social change.

Charles Chao Wang | Away Way