Biography
Born in 1985, New York, New York
Kenneth Chau is an internationally exhibited visual artist. His practice combines aspects of photography and performance as a reflection of his ongoing research of the androgyne, symbols, gender, botany, landscape, and geographic places of transition and transgression. Primarily expressed in series of self-portraits, cyanotype, and performance-based, Chau embodies multiple and eclectic roles that are documented through his chosen medium of photography.
My current research interest involves the investigation of gender expression and intelligence of non-human organisms, namely plants, and how it can be expressed through the visual practice of particular non-gender conforming group. My current body of artistic work conveys a series of mural sized cyanotypes primarily of self-portraits, florals, and found image. It is a work in progress and updates will be made soon.
He is currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Education
2017 Masters in Science in Social Anthropology With Merit, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
2016 Masters of Philosophy in Fine Art, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
2007 Bachelors in Fine Arts with Honors in Photography, Parsons School of Design, New York, United States of America.
Solo Exhibitions
2014 restraint & hijara, CO2 Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
2007 Luna Regnum Chapter I: Birth, The Central Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, Shanghai, China
Group Exhibitions
2016 LOOP - Parsons Alumni Exhibition, Aronson Galleries, New York, USA
2015 Ritualized Body, AroundSpace Gallery, Shanghai, China
GÖSTERİŞ, Arte Sanat, Ankara, Turkey
AGender Project, Openspace Bae organised by HAGAI, Busan, South Korea
2012 Kompas, Sculpture Court at the Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, UK
2011 DOCument, Sculpture Court at the Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, UK
Who’s Self Portrait? Joy Wai Gallery, New York, USA
2009 Féminité: Moussier et Chau, La Plantation, Alliance Francais, Beijing, China
2008 Shanghai International Photography Week, Song Jiang Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai, China
From Afar: Documenting Traditions, Witnessing Transitions, International Center of Photography, New York, USA
2007 Rising Prospects, Flying Blessings, EpSite Epson Moganshan Gallery M50, Shanghai, China
BFA Parsons Photography Thesis Exhibition, Calumet Gallery, New York, USA
2006 Exposition Fin D'Année, Espace Commines, Paris, France
2005 Think Culture, Arnhold Hall, New York, USA
Selected Bibliography and Publications
2019 Sharing Moments Between Plants and Humans, edited by Elle Zhu, Noblesse Magazine. Published Mar. 23 2019, Shanghai, China
2018 Magnolia Hunt: Is Plant Hunting a Consequence of the British Empire Project?, Masters of Science Dissertation, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
2015 Aspects of Androgyny in restraint & hijara, “AGender Issue,” HAGAI Issue No 4 Taipei, Taiwan.
2014 Encounters with Androgyny Through the Visual Practice of Forrest Bess, Martha Wilson and Kenneth Chau, Masters of Philosophy Dissertation. University of Edinburgh, UK
2006 Surface to Air, Paper Magazine. Paper Publishing Co: New York. Aug 06 Vol 23 No 2, pp 8
Selected Catalogues and Features
2015 GÖSTERİŞ, “restraint & hijara,” Arte Sanat. Ankara. Published Dec 2015. pp 36 – 39.
AGender Issue, “Aspects of Androgyny in restraint & hijara,”. HAGAI Issue No 4. Taipei.
Frigid Beauty by Liao Fangzhou, Global Times. Shanghai. July 9, 2015.
Body. Fiction. Fictionalize Body by Elle Zhu, Noblesse Magazine. July 6, 2015. Shanghai, China.
2012 Memoire Universelle: Oh L’Amour. “Pereil en la demeuere,” Brussels. Photographs by Constantin Thun. Edited by Benoit Bethune. Nov 2012. pp 64- 75.
2010 Kenneth Chau and His Exploration of Venus by Jenny Ruan. ARTS AND CULTURE Magazine, Beijing. Jan. Issue.
2009 Watchu Wearing?? By Johannes Pong. HK Magazine, Hong Kong. No 806 Oct 2009, Cover & pp 12.
2008 The Young and the Banging: The Downtown Yearbook Class of 2008 by Heron Johnson. O.H.W.O.W. Publications: New York Sept 2008. pp
Star Profiles: Kenneth Chau – Young American Artist. Interviewed and produced by Crystal Chen Hao for Young TV, Shanghai. Central China Television Network (CCTV), July 2008.
2007 Celebrating Chinese Contemporary Photography Exhibition Catalogue. EpSite, Epson China, Shanghai. Oct 2007.
Photography Exploration of Kenneth Chau by Faye Ping An-Li. ALL: Big Art Book. Shanghai. Sept 2007, pp 50 – 51.
Governing of Luna: New Conceptual Photographs by Lin Lu, Shanghai Photography Magazine. Sept 2007 pp 60-67.
New Photography by Young American Artist Kenneth Chau by York Niu, TIDE Magazine, Aug 2007 PAGES
LECTURES
2012 New Forms, Pratt Institute, New York. Organized by Martha Wilson
Selected Research from Encounters with Androgyny, University of Edinburgh
2011 Current Research in Progress by Kenneth Chau, University of Edinburgh
2010 Unraveling Narratives, Conference Organized by the University of Edinburgh