New York, NY
Art illuminates the soul of an artist. Photography is a vehicle for an artist to communicate personal inspirations and experiences. Michael Chen is an award-winning photographer. He constantly challenges himself to reach new frontiers. For more than thirty-seven years, he has documented in over a hundred countries on six continents. Born in Malaysia and raised in Australia, he presently lives in New York with his family. Michael developed an inclination for the adventurous life at an early age, having the extraordinary fortune to be the photographer for the Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, the 4th & 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. His exhibition titled “Without Boundaries” in 2002, and "Simplicity" 2022 at the United Nations brought another dimension to his calling. My philosophy towards my work can be summarized by Buddha's wisdom, "Your work is to discover your work, and then, with all your heart, to give yourself to it." My mission is to use my lens to capture the beauty of the landscapes and the cultures of the world, particularly Southeast Asia, and to cultivate appreciation to as many audiences as possible. Presently, we are moving rapidly towards a period of global globalization, so that there is a call of urgency for cultural exchange and understanding. As a photographer, I feel I have the ability and the responsibility to contribute to bringing the world together. Being of Asian heritage, I have to first discover my own culture in order to offer it meaningfully to others. This is my opportunity to speak about the Asian continent, so that the enigma of this continent can be lifted. He has been working as a Location Scout & Manager since 1992 for Hollywood Movies and Television Commercials. He also teaches photography workshops and does photo-essays in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and New York. My journey has just begun. This is my passion, this is my vision, this is my life.
