Teresa Eng is a London based artist who’s work has been featured in publications such as Vogue Italia, British Journal of Photography, Dazed and Confused, Raw View, Invisible Photographer Asia, Photoworks, and L’Oeil de la Photography. In 2018, Eng was a finalist for the Photographie Grand Prix at Hyères 33e festival of fashion and photography. In 2019 she was runner up in the Aperture Portfolio Prize with her project “China Dream”.
Teresa Eng works on long term projects that deal with transition and change and will talk to us about her recent projects which blur the lines between fine art and documentary photography. “China Dream” and “Elephant and Castle” are examples of her work.
Growing up in Vancouver, Eng was only able to construct her vision of China from the culture and traditions she experienced there – looking but not being Chinese. Upon traveling to China in 2013 Eng was confronted with a stark contrast to her imagined state; drawing from cultural preconceptions formed in her youth she began photographically exploring the country. The resulting series from two years of travelling is China Dream which evokes the cycles of reconstruction and reinterpretation of the past happening in China due to the rapid development occurring throughout the nation.
Elephant and Castle area was once relatively affordable but is undergoing rapid change, with 21 projects (costing over £4bn) either underway or in the pipeline, making it one of Europe’s largest regeneration projects ever. Living in Elephant and Castle has presented Eng with an opportunity to document the transformation and the effect this has on the people who live there. The result is Elephant, a ten-year-long project.
To find out more about Teresa Eng book a place at the RPS Contemporary Group event on 14th March.
All images (c) Teresa Eng.