Artist: Chia Huang

Winner of the 2024 Dior Photography and Visual Arts Award for Young Talents, Chia Huang presents Silence is Speaking at the MEP Studio, an intimate project that delves into the lives of A-ce and A-zhan, two autistic brothers who are almost unable to communicate verbally, living alone with their father, who has cancer, in the city of Taitung, Taiwan.

Over the course of six months, the photographer immersed herself in the daily life of this family, capturing their inner world through a hybrid approach combining documentary photography, amateur drawings, and family archives. Deprived of verbal language due to their autism, the two brothers nevertheless maintain a constant internal dialogue within the depths of their silence.

Embracing a collaborative approach to photography, Chia Huang incorporates the prolific drawings of the two brothers, which cover the walls of their home, into her work. These creations, true extensions of their inner world, punctuate the project and offer an alternative form of expression.

Through this project, Chia Huang sheds light on the pain and confusion experienced by this family as they navigate the expectations of Taiwanese society, still steeped in traditional norms. Her sensitive imagery unveils the silent communication between the brothers, highlighting their body language and documenting “the quiet sound hidden within their being.”

Chia Huang

Born in 1990 in Taiwan, Chia Huang is a visual artist currently in her final year at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and a graduate of Villa Arson in Nice. Her work incorporates photography, painting, collage, and video. Focusing on individuals living on the margins of society, the artist develops a collaborative practice with her subjects, creating collective projects that combine documentary photography and drawing.
She has exhibited her work at renowned institutions, including the Rencontres d’Arles, Palais de Tokyo, Luma Arles, MoCA in Taipei, Taipei Performing Arts Center, and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 2024, she was awarded the Dior Photography and Visual Arts Award for Young Talents.