“Mind’s Eye” Empathic Photography of Strangers
Photographic Appreciation and Seminar Series
Organiser: Jao Tsung-I Academy
Since our attention is invariably drawn to those things that are preconceived in our mind, an enlightened mind will bring about a virtuous cycle leading to the discovery of encouraging events, which will further reinforce positive thinking. As such, a change to positive thinking is a means of spiritual healing, as it will reveal to our eyes an entirely different world, a world of hope.
Not only does empathic photography bring out the capacity to spiritually connect with others, it will be a wonderfully therapeutic experience for everyone. This is also the objective of “Mind’s eye”
Activity Highlights
Afterwords from Dr. Joe T L Chan
The 38 days of the exhibition were reminiscent of every photo trip that I made over the last 20 years. Not a day would pass in the venue without at least a few bursts of laughter and some friendly chats with visitors. The encounter with the visitors almost rendered the sharing of my photo trips redundant, as pretty much the same kind of connection was established. In all my photo taking with strangers, a heart warming relationship, transient as it may seem, has been created by the click of the shutter to supply for this world with an extra bit of hope and tenderness.
To excel in humanist photography is to fall in love with life. Every photo is a fruit of that love. But it is always more important to click with people before we click the shutter. I clicked so much with my visitors during the whole period that it really sounded like a million shots. The exhibition has been a wonderful trip for me to connect with strangers again.
Date: 19 Feb – 21 Mar 2021 (Mon – Sun) (Extend to 28 March 2021)
Time: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Venue: Exhibition Hall, G/F, Block F, Middle Zone, Jao Tsung-I Academy
Seminars and Workshops details
Seminars and Workshops enrollment: Click here
Dr Joe T L Chan
As an economist by academic training, Dr Joe T L Chan studies the patterns of human behaviour under different circumstances.
Dr Chan was an Economics Lecturer at the University of Hong Kong from 1994 to 2006.
He has also taught Photography and Self Esteem in the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, sharing with students how the man behind the economist embarked on his soul searching journey with a camera, in an attempt to reconcile his skeptical mind with spiritual well being.
He was the only Hong Kong based photographer ever nominated by the French media for the HCB Prize, organized by the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation in Paris.
As a professional photographer, Dr Chan’s works have been featured under three cover stories in Ming Pao Weekly (MPW Culture): Everyday Heroes, The Art of Diligence, and Stroke Attack; and he has been interviewed on Humanist Photography in RTHK Putonghua channel, and Metro Broadcast Corporation. Dr Chan’s personal photography exhibition has been held in Hong Kong (Ocean Terminal Gallery), and Mainland China (Dali / Yunnan, and Pingyao / Shanxi), and Taipei (Chinese Culture University).
