Chinese Name: 雷驤
Born: 1939
Died: May 29, 2024
Birthplace: Shanghai, China
Did You Know That…?
In 2021, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and the National Center of Photography and Images worked together to publish the book “Photographers of Taiwan – Lay Hsiang,” detailing Lay Hsiang’s journey in videomaking and revealing his unpublished manuscripts. Piecing together his works, the book demonstrates Lay Hsiang’s deep humanistic concern.
Born in 1939 in Shanghai, China, Lay moved to Taiwan with his family in 1949. After graduating from the Fine Arts Department of Taiwan Provincial Normal School (now National Taipei University of Education), he took on multiple roles, including elementary school teacher, television show producer, author, artist, and documentary director. He was recognized as a multi-faceted art creator. In the spring of 1967, he published his first novel, “Dog (犬),” in the “Literature Quarterly (文學季刊).” Since then, he has actively engaged in writing, producing a total of 37 books and over 3 million words. In painting, he experimented with different materials in various art forms, including sketches, ink, illustration, and printmaking, creating works that are unconventional and unique in style.
As an outstanding storyteller, Lay recounts personal and collective history through images. From still photos to digital collaborations, his career epitomizes the evolution of photography, witnessing changes in photography tools, imaging media, and printing technology. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Lay produced close to 300 videography works, directing various television documentaries, including “The Journey of Image (映象之旅)” and “The Giants Within (作家身影).”
Lay was recognized by various awards and honors, such as the Golden Tripod Awards (金鼎獎), Golden Goblet Awards (金爵獎), and Golden Bell Awards (金鐘獎). In 2018, he received the Taipei Culture Award, another prestigious honor. Additionally, he was a devoted educator, dedicated to promoting fine art by teaching at universities, community schools, and schools in rural areas.