#kamantse

Ka-Man Tse is a photographer that takes photos influenced by her upbringing as a Chinse-American lesbian. Her photos tell stories about herself as well as those around her, capturing views that would otherwise not be visible. She focuses on making those in the asian queer community feel visible-- and she absolutely does give them that visibility and representation.  

Listening to Ka-Man Tse’s lecture, I found myself relating to her in many ways and at times tearing up at some things she said. My parents worked very hard for me to get the education I have now, working long hours in Chinese restaurants and part-times jobs when they were younger so they would be able to provide for a better future for me. Growing up, I always looked up to my parents. They were constantly working, and a lot of the time I was asked to occupy myself. I spent a lot of time in the Chinese restaurant they eventually ended up owning. I doodled on plates with different sauces-- the start of my discovery for art. Ka-Man Tse was able to capture moments of asian culture and values with simplicity and emotion, and it amazes me how she was able to trigger buried memories within me with each image. 

I particularly love Ka-Man Tse’s series Narrow Distances. The solo show aimed to show the queer narrative in Hong Kong. It was a perfect representation of how hidden the LGBT community really is in China, yet it is still beautifully there and very present. The photos are intimate and beautiful-- they evoke a lot of emotional feeling in me, especially as someone who is still discovering who I am. She is able to create that feeling of identity and representation through photographs-- I never knew I could see feelings, and it was shocking to me so see pieces that represented how I felt at times in certain spots of my life. 

Ka-Man Tse’s art reminds me of Dread Scott’s art. Both artists explore photography, and explore intense topics that need to be discussed. Although the topics are different (Asian American culture/representation and queerness vs Black Representation and BLM), the compositions of the works reminded me of each other. Both artists have a sort of simplicity to them in terms of how they photograph, taking pictures that could be seen as daily events that need to be seeked for. You can’t easily find them in the streets easily at times, but it feels as if everyone has encountered similar images. An example of this would be Dread Scott’s photography series “I Am Not a Man” and Ka-Man Tse’s work Narrow Distances. 

A lot of my work embraces my asian culture, and I wish to continue that. You should never feel embarrassed of who you are and where you come from, and I will continue to make work that influences and helps me find myself and for others who are still finding who they are.

Ka-man Tse is a Photographer from Hong Kong who focuses on family and queerness in her work. She redefines photography as “creation” rather then something you “take”. When making her photos she wants it to feel like everyone participating is giving to the art rather than her taking or using their presence for a photo.

Ka-man Tse brings meaning into her work in very subtle ways. For example, in one of her photographs she is holding an old photo of her mother at her mother’s brother’s wedding. In the photo she has her aunt and her aunt’s husband I believe, each with a hand on the photo. The hand she has holding the photo has her wedding ring on it as a subtle way to incorporate queerness, however is it too subtle? If a meaningful detail to a piece of work is too subtle, the viewer might not catch onto it but does that matter? It leads to the question of who the art is for: the viewer or the artist. I wonder who Ka-man Tse is making her work for if she is even making it for anyone specific.

A Piece in Ka-Man Tse’s “Narrow Distances” Exhibition

One of my favorites that evoked a lot of emotion in me. This image is very familiar to me having been raised in an asian household that, like Ka-Man Tse’s, has went through many challenges to keep afloat.