Katsura: Overlapping Gazes

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Leonne Chen, Taiwan
• Date of Photograph
  2015-2023

This project originates from my love for my grandfather, Tân Kuì-pik (Katsura in Japanese, 1926–2023). A farmer and former village chief in Yilan, Taiwan, his century-long life witnessed Taiwan’s transition from the Japanese colonial era to the present. Since he spoke only Taiwanese and Japanese, photography became our bridge, transcending language to explore his history and my own roots. As a traveler who has lived away from Yilan since 2000, I often felt like a stranger in my own hometown. This project allowed me to observe and understand my grandpa and also revisit my childhood.

Leonne Chen was born in Yilan, Taiwan, and is currently based in Taipei, Taiwan. I studied in Bath, UK, and worked in Tokyo and Taipei. Photography for me is about seeing and observing, and the camera is the tool of my creation. Through the camera, I continue to see, learning from what I see how to see, and reflecting on what it means to observe.