Chinese Name: 翁庭華
Born: 1934
Birthplace: Keelung City (Northern Taiwan)
Did You Know That…?
At the age of 54, Wong Ting-hua went to Japan to study photography for two years and started to focus on modernism as a form of expression in art. Because of his unique interpretation and techniques in his creations, Wong became the first foreigner who win the prizes at the 64th Kokuten Exhibition (國展) in Japan in 1991.
Wong Ting-hua is one of the most important documentary photographers in Taiwan. His photography career started from the trend of realism in the 1960s. In the form of the thematic series, Wong photographed the common life of local residents and a variety of scenery in his hometown Keelung. He devoted himself to photography when he was 24, and his artistic enlightenment coincided with the drastic changes in social values in the 1960s. With penetrating insight, Wong was mainly engaged in documentary photography at that time, recording the changes in society and traditional cultures, as well as the impact made by the nativist movements and new art trends.
In 1987, Wong went to Japan for further study in photography. Since his work “Tokyo Impressions (東京印象)” which was released in 1988, he has published photos of impressions on various cities, such as New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, and Shanghai. These overseas photoshoots focus on urban cityscapes and scenes of everyday life, delving into the corners of the international metropolises. Wong went back to Taiwan’s northeast coast in 1995 and revisited Jiufen (九份), a seaside mountain area in New Taipei City, in 2006, using his lens to re-document and rediscover the places where he was familiar.
Over the years, Wong has taken numerous snapshots of his hometown, local cultures, lifestyles, and environmental changes, preserving the precious moments with the form of documentary photography. Having been a photographer for over 60 years, he has witnessed the evolution and innovation of photography from traditional black-and-white images to color photos, digital images, and artificial intelligence (AI) pictures. Adhering to the principle that “change is the only constant,” Wong seeks new meanings within old subjects. In his works, he strives for creativity to establish a personal aesthetic style.
Wong Ting-hua’s photo exhibition is available online: https://ncpiexhibition.ntmofa.gov.tw/en/OnlineExhibition/Detail/20120522281587963