yun-yun
35mm 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.