Janice Chan's Ethereal Photos of Weifang Kite Festival
Hong Kong-based New Zealand architectural designer and photographer Janice Chan captures the annual kite festival in Weifang, China, in her series 'Most People Came to Watch the Sky.' Thousands gather each spring to fly kites under enormous skies. Chan, more interested in the people and atmosphere than the spectacle, photographed the temporary world of carnival, observation, and collective daydream. She shot on a Nikon F4 film camera with Kodak Gold 200, keeping editing minimal. The series features kites shaped like tropical fish, soy sauce bottles, and ramyun packets, alongside clowns, tanghulu kiosks, and cake slices. Chan's architectural background informs her focus on how people shape places. The work is inspired by documentaries of Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine.
Key facts
- Janice Chan is a Hong Kong-based Kiwi architectural designer and photographer.
- Her series 'Most People Came to Watch the Sky' documents the annual kite festival in Weifang, China.
- The festival occurs each spring, with thousands gathering to fly kites.
- Chan shot on a Nikon F4 film camera with Kodak Gold 200 film.
- Kites included tropical fish, soy sauce bottles, shin ramyun packets, and 300-metre long kites.
- Chan's editing process is minimal, allowing images to speak for themselves.
- She is inspired by documentaries of Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine.
- The series focuses on the atmosphere and people rather than the spectacle.
Entities
Artists
- Janice Chan
- Ila Bêka
- Louise Lemoine
Institutions
- It's Nice That
- designboom
Locations
- Hong Kong
- Weifang
- China
- Tai Mei Tuk
- Shandong
- East Asia
- Micronesia