Noted photographer Hou Shur-tzy (侯淑姿) passed away on Dec. 3 at the age of 61. Culture Minister Shih Che expressed his sincere condolences upon hearing this news. He commended Hou’s devotion to speaking out for justice and the disadvantaged through her artistic endeavors, adding that she was a shining example of an artistic activist.
Born in Chiayi County in 1962, Hou earned a philosophy degree from the National Taiwan University in 1985 before pursuing a Master’s degree in Video Art from the Rochester Institute of Technology in the United States in 1992.
She served at the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Taipei City Government, responsible for the preparation, research, and formulation of cultural policies. Later, in 2004, she joined the faculty of the Department of Crafts and Creative Design of the National University of Kaohsiung.
Hou’s artistic journey started with gender equality and expanded to broader social issues such as class, ethnicity, and the collective memories of the military dependents’ villages. Exploring self-consciousness as well as cultural identity, she expressed her concerns about society through textual creations and visual installations.
Hou was nominated for the 9th Taishin Arts Award (台新藝術獎) in 2011, and the National Center of Photography and Images honored the artist by featuring her in the book series “Photographers of Taiwan” last March, in recognition of her significant contribution in the photography community.
Hou’s publications, including “Take a Picture, It Lasts Longer (窺),” “Guess Who You Are (猜猜你是誰),” “Japan-Eye-Love-You,” “Asian Foreign Brides (亞洲新娘),” and “A Trilogy on Military Dependents’ Villages in Kaohsiung (高雄眷村三部曲),” have been incorporated into the collections of prestigious institutions such as the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, National Center of Photography and Images, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts.