Down by Canal
Down by Canal is a series of film photographs set in New York’s Chinatown, on and around Canal street. Looking at these images now during a time of the global pandemic—when hate crimes toward Asian people and people of Asian descent have risen drastically—it is important to be reminded that as "exotic" as a culture it might seem, we have been a part of the New York cultural landscape for more than a century and a half. In between the bright awnings and neon signs, the people of Chinatown navigate their way as workers, tourists, and residents in the same way all New Yorkers do in every community.
The series observes the touches of light and color from signs and windows that are distinct to Chinatown—and unintentionally paint an otherwise gritty dirty part of Manhattan—transforming it into a collection of candy colored scenes. The people go about their day in a part of town that is familiar to them while being in a country where the mainstream culture is still at odds with accepting them as one of their own, especially in today's fearful climate.
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