BUTTERFLIES IN LOVE WITH FLOWERS

I sometimes think Chinese art is not fully appreciated in the West. I was exposed to it growing up in Australia, although my fascination was more with calligraphy.

- Justin Hession

If you have ever seen someone painting the characters, it's captivating. The whole speed and elegance of the process. I traveled extensively through Asia as a backpacker, but it would be decades before I got to visit China. The idea of doing a Chinese photography series actually started in Taipei at the incredible National Palace Museum. There, rooms were full of Chinese National Treasures, wall-to-wall calligraphy, paintings, and vases. It was inspiring, and I felt a need to delve further into this world.

As a portrait photographer in Switzerland, it was natural for me to stay with portraiture, but I wanted to blend it with calligraphy to give it a slight feeling of ancient painting techniques. This led me to learn a lot about Chinese literature and the great poets from the Tang dynasty. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.