Calvin Chen
Cómo Juegan los Niños
December 1–31, 2016
“From a pediatrician’s perspective, play is such a critical part of children’s development. It’s where they learn to socialize, problem solve, and create. I am curious to know what effects different types of play have on our youth.”
Throughout his travels, photographer Calvin Chen has focused his lens on the imaginative ways that children play, especially when faced with limited resources. Chen’s evocative black-and-white photographs create a tension between his subjects’ seemingly carefree activities and their bleak and often dangerous surroundings, yet the images also capture their sense of wonder, inviting viewers to contemplate life’s transcendental possibilities.
Calvin Chen is a pediatrician and photographer based in Portland, Oregon. His work has been exhibited at Newspace Center for Photography and Sage Gallery in Portland and at Lightbox in Astoria. Chen’s photography has consistently been juried into the pool of Top 50 finalists in Photolucida’s annual Critical Mass photo competition since 2014.