An Rong Xu is a Chinese American photographer based in New York City. His work explores identity within the Chinese American community, and the evolving social philosophy within, while photographing the transition from immigrant to American. Xu graduated with a BFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts in May 2012, he has most recently completed a one-year Artist in Residence at East Meets West, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as a Kong Family Fellow.
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Statement:
“The Chinese Americans series is a combination of portraits, landscapes and still lifes, aiming to depict and cultivate the Chinese American identity – wrought with generational gaps, contradictory ideals, nostalgic dreams of the Golden Mountain and a modern day pursuit of happiness.
Chinese Americans are one of the oldest and fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States. They have made their mark from the heavy labor of the Transcontinental Railroad to our present day food mongers and our technological advances. This collection of photographs creates a visual language to understand the complexity of a bicultural community and shapes a new definition for what it means to be American. This work is made by traveling across the United States, documenting the journey and lives of the Chinese American people, unpacking the dissonance between assimilation and cultural heritage.”