Tibet has long been a mysterious place that takes my fancy. Most people in Tibet Province in China believe in Geluk, which is one of the four factions of Tibetan Buddhism. They believe that wealth, fame, food, and everything else were gained by their spiritual practice in the previous life, and the more they accomplish their practice in the current life, the better the next life they will have. When they come to death, some of them would choose celestial burial, which means nourishing vultures with their dead bodies as the final contribution to the world. Their faiths get stronger as they age, and they use entire lives to practice what they believe in.
I went to Tibet for the second time this summer. Originally on this trip, I wanted to find subjects related to death or Buddhism or people’s lifestyle which are the most common things people think of Tibet. But when I drove far away from the last big city and really into the Tibetan area, I finally understand what I found: it was not death or next life, nor Buddhism; I found myself. In the city, I was labeled and was given a lot of titles. Such a glorious surface stops me from being myself. But here, without anything that others put on me, my spirit was free.
I was a spectator in Tibet. I recorded what I saw, including scenery which I thought might enhance my audience’s understanding of this project. True, my photos may include some bias that city people have about Tibet, but also admiration, for Tibetan people’s possibility to behave themselves. As for myself, these images can always remind me of a time to indulge in an inner-journey getting away from the hustle and bustle of cities and finding who I am.
Sadly, gun violence is a subject that continues to be relevant in our society.
I vividly recall the look of horror on my mother’s face when I walked into our kitchen and asked her, “where can I get a bulletproof vest?”
Gun violence is an issue that has captured my attention for some time now. I began this project a few years ago in Los Angeles, until I brought the cause to New York. In Los Angeles, I rented a fake bullet proof vest and asked random people in my neighborhood to pose doing every day activities while wearing the vest.
I wanted to show how the effect of guns has drastically changed the way in which we live our lives and how it can produce fear of where a tragedy can occur at any moment and to anyone anywhere. It made me, and the people I photographed, think more about the world outside of our relatively protected lives. Whether it be at a supermarket, a park, or a religious institution, gun violence is an issue that continues on in our country. Photographing this project in New York was very different from my experience in Los Angeles.
Growing up in Los Angeles, I could visit certain places and see familiar faces to approach for this project. But in New York, that was completely different territory for me. I had to completely get out of my comfort zone and approach strangers and force them to see the importance of this issue head on. After each photo was taken, I made sure to talk to the person and hear their views on guns and the gun control issue in our country to gain a more well-rounded view on this topic. It definitely is not easy, but it is extremely worth-while.
I needed people to understand just how easy it is to own a gun. Anyone above the age of 21 can simply go to Walmart and pick up a gun, no questions asked. The hundreds of shootings that have gone on in our country over the past few years is astonishing. There should have been serious gun regulation reform after the first event occurred. With hundreds of innocent people dead and the easy ability for anyone to buy a gun, it may soon be up to the individual to protect themself. Bulletproof vests may be the next fashion trend.
With the added pressure of the coronavirus looming over our heads, I hope this project will reach more people as we fight for more gun control in our country.
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