“On Facebook I like to open a request for friendship and flick through a life in image of a complete stranger. In this piece I am inviting a kind of voyeuristic look in to my own life and I am well positioned to do this as I have been taking photos in the style of a blog for many years, even before the word came into usage.” William Yang.
In his travels Yang has visited his sister Frances’ family in California where Christmas is a mixture of Japanese and American cultures. In New Zealand pristine nature delighted him. He has travelled to Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean where he experienced Creole culture. He attended the Pingyao International Photographic Festival set in the ancient walled city of Pingyao. Always the activist, Yang showed gay photos in China. In Sydney where he lives, he photographs friends and social gatherings, “I am a camera, I witness marvellous events.”
The images come from his more recent life, the last three years. During this time Yang went with a group of Chinese to The Lambing Flat Festival in Young and Murrumburrah in NSW. The festival acknowledges the Lambing Flat Riot where the European miners drove the Chinese diggers off the goldfields in 1861. This event struck chords with Yang and the theme of diverse cultures and Chinese migration runs through the piece.
William Yang has been telling stories with image projection and music in the theatre for over twenty years now. World wide he is Australia’s most toured performance artist. He is joined by Elena Kats-Chernin who has composed an alluring score for cello and percussion. The two musicians appear live on stage.
The season at the Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale, 17 – 22 Jan has sold out, but tickets are available for the season at the Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres, Parramatta. Jan 13 – 15 at 7pm, Jan 14, 15 at 3pm.
Kickstart our month-long festival of the arts with music, photography, and community on the shores of the dazzling Bondi Beach. Be the first to know who won the 2024 Head On Photo Awards and get a taste of the photographs redefining visual storytelling.
Enthralling. Enchanting. Extraordinary. Discover exceptional photography for free around Sydney during the festival 8 Nov–1 Dec 2024