bio
All images and texts are copyright protected, ©2024 Evelyn Lee
yun-yun
Film Photography, Taiwan, since 2021
concept and photography Evelyn Lee
Two years ago, my niece, Yun-Yun, was born. She is my big cousin's daughter, the firstborn of the next generation in our family. Thus, as she entered the world, curiosity and attention surrounded her. Initially, I was playing the role of one of her aunts. But during her great-grandfather's (our grandfather's) funeral, I discovered that Yun-Yun’s presence brought us varying degrees of happiness. Observing her innocent attempts at climbing stairs while dressed in mourning attire, or witnessing her sitting on a chair learning English from cartoons while the family folded paper lotus flowers to burn during the funeral rites, made me feel a profound connection. It was then that I began photographing Yun-Yun.
That's how the ongoing project yun-yun started. What started as capturing the playful moments of a two-year-old during a funeral evolved into a portrayal of our family after Grandfather's passing. The focus expanded beyond just our grandparents to include the entire extended family and the new phase of this residence. From then on, my first photographic work, ただいま (Tadaima), gained a meaningful continuation.
To my family, you’re all wise enough to know that death brings us more than loss.
Oct 28 1942
1943 (above), 1962 (below)
1963
1964 1965
1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1977
1997, a year before I was born.
October 13 2021
October 14 - Oct 27 2021
In our tradition, after a family member passes away, all the lights in the house are kept on continuously to guide the spirit back home. During this time, every room and hallway in the house has its lights on, reminding me of the lively atmosphere during Lunar New Year when we were young and our elders were still with us. It’s as if we’re revisiting those childhood memories in the two weeks following my grandfather's passing leading up to his funeral: The glittering temple fair. Grandmothers delight in setting up stalls, crafting bead necklaces. Children indulge in malt candy and Lay's potato chips with seaweed flavor. The sunset back then was a shade of purple-blue, and the sky wasn't always hazy.
2022 - 2023