Michelle Chan

"me", 2026

"me" is an experimental photographic installation that explores identity, perception, and fragmentation through repeated and manipulated images of the human face. This project builds on my interest in using photography to examine how identity is constructed through the body, especially through facial features, expressions, and movement.

The installation is composed of a grid of photographic panels featuring close-up portraits that are blurred, distorted, and partially obscured. Some images remain clear, while others dissolve through motion blur and manipulation, creating a tension between recognition and loss. The images are digitally edited and then physically transformed through a cyanotype-inspired process, where printed photographs are layered, exposed, and re-photographed to create textured blue tones and imperfect surfaces. This process introduces chance, fading, and material variation, reinforcing the idea that identity is unstable and constantly shifting.

Influenced by experimental photography and artists who challenge fixed identity, this work is in dialogue with contemporary visual culture, where faces are constantly captured, altered, and circulated. By repeating and fragmenting the same subject across multiple images, the installation suggests that identity is not singular or stable, but continuously reconstructed.

The work places viewers in a position where they are both looking and being looked at. It invites reflection on how identity is shaped through perception, and how images can both reveal and distort who we are.

About the Artist

My creative practice primarily focuses on video and photography to explore identity, emotion, spirituality, and personal transformation. I am interested in how internal experiences, such as memories, anxiety, healing, dreams, or growth, can be translated into visual form. A lot of my work deals with fragmentation, feminine energy, vulnerability, and the connection between the body and natural environments. Instead of creating direct narratives, I often create atmospheric or symbolic visuals that invite viewers to feel something first, then interpret the meaning in their own way.

My work is strongly influenced by my personal experiences, cultural background, and the spaces I move through in everyday life. I draw inspiration from experimental film, staged photography, feminist art practices, and artists who use self-representation to question identity and perception. Landscapes, spiritual symbolism, and emotionally charged moments also play an important role in shaping my imagery. Through these influences, I try to blend autobiographical elements with broader themes about belonging, transition, and self-discovery.

I mainly work with digital video and photography, often experimenting with editing, layering, projection, and multi-screen installations to create immersive visual environments. My process usually starts intuitively, collecting images, filming textures, bodies, or environments, and then develops through repetition, sequencing, and spatial decisions. I am interested in how movement, light, and scale can change the viewer’s experience and create work that feels poetic, slightly disorienting, and emotionally immersive.

I make art for audiences who are open to reflection and sensory engagement. I am especially interested in connecting with students, young creatives, and people navigating questions about identity, mental health, spirituality, or cultural belonging. I want viewers to feel seen, challenged, or emotionally connected to the work's atmosphere.

Ultimately, I make art as a way to process my inner world and understand transformation. My goal is to create visual spaces where people can pause, reflect, and reconnect with their own emotional landscapes.