Luo Yang captures Asian women’s lives in New York’s Chinatown
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Luo Yang, a Chinese photographer, recently photographed seven women in Manhattan’s Chinatown as part of her ongoing series, Diaspora Birds.
Yang began her career documenting young people in China, gaining recognition from artist Ai Weiwei in 2012 who included her work in an exhibition at the Groningen Museum in the Netherlands.
Inspired by Chinatowns she encountered during a 2022 residency in Paris, Yang expanded her focus to Asian women who have resettled in Western countries, exploring their experiences with shifting cultural identities. While on assignment in New York City this year, Yang chose Chinatown as the setting for the latest installment of Diaspora Birds, photographing each woman in a local business or public space.
She sought to capture a sense of drama and imagination in each portrait, connecting with her subjects and forming new friendships. The women Yang photographed represent a range of backgrounds and accomplishments. FiFi Zhang, a Shanghai-born electronic producer, Yuhee Yang, a dancer from Jeju Island, South Korea, and Shien Lee, founder of the Red Pavilion in Brooklyn, are among those featured.
Others include Ruoyi Jiang, founder of the NYC Chinatown boutique Chop Suey Club, award-winning designer Natasha Jen, Jacky Lee, a biracial adoptee, and Bea, a lifelong resident of the New York area. Each woman shared her personal connection to Chinatown, describing how the neighborhood reflects her heritage and inspires her creativity.
