Documentary Photographer — Chen Jin

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Chen Jin was born in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, in 1955. His monographs include Sichuan Teahouses (1992) and Street Life (2006). In 2019, he was serving as vice-chair of the Sichuan Photographers Association.

Chen Jin begins with the people and events around him. Working through cultural touchstones such as teahouses, he immerses himself over long periods in the everyday lives, joys, and sorrows of ordinary townspeople, revealing cultural currents of broader and deeper significance. His photographs are unadorned and objective, built up over time yet able to withstand its scrutiny.

Sichuan Teahouses (1992)

Sichuan Teahouses is still regarded by China’s photographic community as one of the most representative bodies of work devoted to regional culture.

Street Life (2006)

Visages (2012)

In this series, Chen presents images of the Buddha found in ruined temples after the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake. He deliberately retained the borders of the film to convey a sense of time. The citation for the Ninth China Photography Awards described the work in these terms: “Through personification, the photographer alludes to the Buddhist cycle of life and death, giving voice to a singular understanding of life that came to him in middle age.”