How This Photographer Used Selfies To Explore Layers Of Identity
How can selfies become a meditation on culture, politics, and personal identity? In this video, Nerdwriter and the National Gallery of Art explore the extraordinary work of photographer Tseng Kwong Chi, whose iconic series East Meets West (1979–1989) blends self-portraiture, performance, and satire. Posing in a "Mao suit" before American and international landmarks, Tseng created the character of the "Ambiguous Ambassador" to provoke questions about identity, diplomacy, and belonging.
This video is part of a broader conversation inspired by the "The 70s Lens" exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, which explores how 1970s photographers used the camera to examine shifting identities. It was created by Nerdwriter in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art.
Dive into the layered genius of Tseng Kwong Chi-and see how one artist turned the act of taking a photo into an exploration of self and society.
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