Stefen Chow

Stefen Chow, (Chinese: 赵峰；born 1980, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), a Singapore raised photographer and artist currently based in Beijing, China. His work is widely published and exhibited internationally. In 2013, Stefen's portrait of iconic Chinese artist and activist Ai Wei Wei was awarded at the World Press Photo. Stefen frequently collaborates with economist Hui-Yi Lin using extensive data and research to produce long term visual projects. One of their prominent projects is “The Poverty Line”, a visual project that contextualise global poverty. The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago and the Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum in Beijing has acquired works to their permanent collection.

Stefen Chow was tasked with the role of being the team's photographer for the National University of Singapore (NUS) Centennial Everest Team in 2002-05. After the team successfully summited Mount Everest in 2005, Stefen decided to shoot professionally after meeting New York based UN photographer John Isaac and getting a positive review of his portfolio.

In 2007, Stefen left for New York City to assist professional photographers and take classes at the International Center of Photography. He studied under photographer Amy Arbus, daughter of Dianne Arbus. Stefen also attended the Eddie Adams Workshop. He shifted to Beijing in 2008 and has been based there since.

Using data and extensive research, Stefen’s works take social and economic themes and translate them into visual art.

The Poverty Line is an ongoing project which began in China in 2010 and has since expanded to 28 countries across 6 continents. The Poverty Line uses food as a base to examine the choices a person living at the poverty line would face. Stefen is the co-creator of the project together with Hui-Yi Lin, an economist.

Quoted from the website:

" The project takes a typological photographic approach over time. Each country's figure is based on their poverty line definition and official national statistics to derive a per capita per day rate, with household food expenditure incorporated for developed countries. Food is then procured from local markets using that monetary amount. Every individual piece of work is photographed with the food items placed on local newspapers purchased on the day of the shoot, with the dimensions and lighting carefully measured to have a uniform aesthetic across time and geographical spread. The result is a large typological photographic statement that addresses the complex issues of global poverty using economics, photography and food choices. "

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