Liu has been involved with photography since a young age, holding his first solo exhibition at just 20 years old. His camera is both his weapon and a tool for communicating the wonder of the world.
In the 1980s Liu worked as a photojournalist, running from protest to protest, not only recording the birth pains of Taiwanese democracy, but also capturing the human side of the many clashes in his own unique style. Anger, loneliness, panic, passion... through his lens, Liu drew out the tension between individual emotions and the violence of the background events in almost hyperrealistic imagery.
Since 1986, Liu has worked with directors like Hou Hsiao-hsien, capturing images of their films in still photography. In 1987 he began working as a performing arts photographer, preserving moments of motion that would otherwise be gone in a flash. Having not seen the performances ahead of time, Liu had to rely on his honed reactions, but without fail he was able to capture the high points of what was unfolding, communicating the spirit of the performer with perfect composition and a distinctive feel.
In April 2015, Liu opened his exhibition “Liu Chen-Hsiang—In Between the Moments: Cloud Gate in a Photographer’s Memory.” The exhibition, which will run until early October, focuses on Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, with whom Liu has worked closely for 27 years, including recording their rehearsals and moments of relaxation. The works on show include the troupe’s first performance after their 1992 move to Bali in northern Taiwan, with dancers including Luo Man-fei performing for the local community under the beating sun. Another image is a group shot of the troupe in their ruined rehearsal space after it was destroyed by fire in 2008, while yet another, from 2013, captures a performance of Legacy in the paddies of Chishang in Taitung County. The images on display in Liu’s exhibition lead the audience through the history of Cloud Gate, showing a side of this legendary troupe not usually seen by the public.
The independent, powerful style of Liu’s photography is sure to stop audiences in their tracks.
Luo Man-fei, Requiem, 1989
Cloud Gate Dance Theater Rehearsal Space, Bali, Taipei County, 1991
Songs of the Wanderers, 1994
Songs of the Wanderers, 1994
Body Sound, Cloud Gate 2, 2008
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre members in their soon-to-be-demolished Bali rehearsal space after a fire, 2008
Legacy at Chishang, Taitung, 2013
