Sandra Chen Weinstein’s stunning new monograph, Transcend: Freedom to Love, pushes the conversation forward in the lives of the LGBTQ+ community. Profound, brilliant, and insightful, Chen Weinstein’s extraordinary color portraits are accompanied by candid interviews, including with her own child who recently came out as queer, trans, and non-binary, capturing both the complexity of identity as well as providing a mirror of the times.
Through a series of photographs of twenty-seven family and individual’s stories, the heart of the book focus’s on Sandra’s own very personal account of her child, Lee, who ‘came-out’ as non- binary at 28. Inspired by her own child’s courage, she embraced “Lee’s identity and created a portfolio of photographs to push back against the intolerance of a prejudiced society.
Sandra Chen Weinstein is an award-winning Taiwanese American documentary photographer. She was nominated for the Humanitarian Philanthropist award for Prix Pictet “Human.” Her work has been exhibited in the Rencontres d’Arles, the Phillips Collection, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Aperture Gallery, and more. Having followed her work over the last decade, I spoke with her recently about her first monograph, Transcend (published by The New Press, 2024), as she splits her time between Virginia and California.
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Elizabeth Avedon: How did your series ‘Transcend: Freedom to Love’ originate after your long career of photographing the LGBTQ community, especially the trans community?
Sandra Chen Weinstein: My adult child came out recently as queer, transgender, non-binary at age 28. I was surprised, but it took me little time to embrace who they are. I am there for my child in the delicate transition of identity, psychological complexity, depression, challenge and discrimination. I support them and hope our example will help others.
It didn’t occur to me for the work to become a book project until Lee came out in 2016. I had documented Pride some years before then. I was reminded by my child and it was a very important and personal story to tell from a mother’s point of view. It has given me a much greater insight into the struggles of members of these communities. I have to think more before I speak, especially with using a person’s preferred pronouns and addressing people in LGBTQ community with sensitivity to their emotional perspective. I also choose to dress more gender- neutral.
EA: What began your personal connection to the LGBTQ community?
SCW: When I returned to US from working in the American embassy and moved to San Francisco from Asia in the late 1990s, I had close friends who were in the gay community. I was learning the ways through my friends in LGBTQ community about love and faith, and we became family.
The intimate portraits from “Transcend: Freedom to Love”, are focused on the lives in LGBTQ community and their stories, their families and their loved ones. The subjects are photographed in their own environment to allow a more engaging view from their perspective and their families.
The presentation reveals and celebrates identity, love, and equality. The work seeks to aid social justice against stereotype and the stigma that has long existed.
I was overwhelmingly pleased and surprised to be commissioned to complete this work. It allowed me to develop more around the world in addition to the U.S. The editor has decided to combine work from both Transcend and Pride portfolios in the same book.
Finally seeing all this work gathered together like this makes me feel very proud and hopeful that it will inspire others to see that love is all around and what we shares as humans.
EA: One of the most poignant interviews for me in your book is with Asher and Asher’s mother, Hart. Hart admits, “He’s an absolute marvel to me. I had some struggles for a while when I would look at old photographs and get teary-eyed.” From a mothers point of view I found this very honest. Your own text and photographs of your child are extremely moving.
SCW: As many parents and mothers would be, my relationship with my child is close, loving, yet complicated. We have always bonded since they were little. I have never imposed on my child to behave in a certain way, or to speak my native language (Mandarin) since I am Taiwanese Chinese and their father is American of Jewish ancestry. During Lee’s transition to non-binary, we were especially close and I was supportive through the process. My child knew that I was inspired by their changes and we developed this project together.
EA: How did you meet the people who posed for you in your book?
SCW: I met people spontaneously in places, on the street, through word of mouth, etc. Others were introduced to me through organizations that I am involved with and know.
Unlike most photographers who may use a tripod and stage their shots, I am faithfully using a handheld Nikon and natural light to capture a moment of unguarded emotion and vulnerability and always work without an assistant. I think it is important to connect to your subject comfortably enough to be able to have their inner emotion to surface naturally. The collaboration I have with my subjects leads to pictures that are resonant emotionally and psychologically, giving a deeper connection. Many people like me are conscious of the environment of the subject as a major component of the composition. That sometimes makes it difficult to photograph, however I always like a challenge.
EA: How did you first get involved in Photography?
SCW: I am a self-taught photographer. Before I was studying ceramics in Japan and the U.S., I came to photography quite by accident. I had taken some photos of people in Inner Mongolia’s grasslands while I was working in the Beijing American Embassy in the mid-90s. In later years, just for fun, I submitted my work to the International Photography Awards (IPA Lucie Award) and was given an award. I have always been interested in people, diversity and the human condition. Photography is a very powerful tool, to be the witness of past and present. It has widened my perspective on life, and is a continuing process of discovery. I was also inspired by Magnum photographers for their documentary and editorial photography in social, racial and political subjects. My photographic art is greatly inspired and influenced by Henri Cartier- Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Susan Meiselas and Eli Reed.
EA: What is the history of your photography career to date?
SCW: When I started to photograph on the projects in 2007, it took me to India first on an expedition with Steve McCurry. I immediately embraced the rich culture and colors that overwhelmed me. As a result, I went back and traveled around most parts of India by myself and created my first portfolio, “Facets of India”.
By chance, I was also working with my mentor, Eli Reed of Magnum Photography for youth asylum seekers from Africa. That inspired me to start my own portfolio for “Refuge in America”. During the George Floyd incident in 2020, I started the “Black Lives Matter” portfolio.
When I visited a family member who lived in Jerusalem, I witnessed shocking inequality in the lives of Palestinians and treatment by Israelis living in the same area, but divided by the Separation Barrier. I later traveled and visited Israel and Palestine with a peace delegation of academics, doctors and entrepreneur officials on both sides. That led me to discover more about this complicated history throughout decades of the conflict before 1948 and since.
I returned again to the region traveling alone and documented the lives hidden behind the separation barrier, the Palestinian lives in daily agony, the increasing loss of land that keeps extending the occupations throughout the years. As a result, I created the “Dignity for Palestine” portfolio. I was able to document in-depth portrayals of women, refugees, and children in several critical parts in occupied West Bank. I was very inspired by their resilience, self-empowerment, and close-knit community as they have very little to survive. One of the important elements for photography is to witness and to tell the truth. I feel very honored that this project “Dignity for Palestine” has been chosen for PX3 2024 Winners and State of the World Exhibition in Paris (Paris Photo Prize) in 2022 and again in Paris at Galerie 24b this November 5th-9th, 2024.
EA: What is your vision for the future?
SCW: I will always continue to learn and adapt the challenge to come for being a concerned photographer in a rapidly changing world.
Transcend: Freedom to Love
Photographs and text by Sandra Chen Weinstein
The New Press (Nov. 2024)
