Q-Chen (Yi Hsiang Chen)
From image to sound and back again
Q-Chen accidentally joins the harmonica orchestra at high school: he originally wanted to attend one of the other courses at the school with his friends. But there are only places available in the orchestra. A stroke of luck, as Yi Hsiang Chen, alias Q-Chen, sees it today.
He grew up in Hsinchu, a city in the north-west of Taiwan. Strong winds often blow there, which is why it is also known as the Windy City. At high school, he plays in a harmonica orchestra with up to 60 members. For Q-Chen, this is the beginning of a life as a musician. He loves his instrument and the broad sound spectrum: from bright and clear to deep and mellow. In 2008, Q-Chen went to southern Taiwan to study. There, he joins the Sirius Harmonica Ensemble. It is a great adventure for him. He grows through making music together with the other musician in the ensemble. Every new experience broadens his horizons enormously, he says.
Images and their stories
His second love is photography. His profession developed out of a personal interest. He began with landscape pictures, gradually focusing on the people and their individual stories behind them. He wants viewers to learn to look beyond the surface of his work.
Two languages for emotions and stories
For Q-Chen, both images and musical works are languages that can convey emotions and tell a variety of stories. Music can evoke images, while photographs can evoke musical thoughts. “They all place great emphasis on rhythm and structure – be it the arrangement of elements, the capture of fleeting moments, the choice of style in photography or the relationship between melody and harmony, the alternation of tone and texture in music. Each medium expresses meaning in its own unique way.”
Understanding connections
Q-Chen looks for connections between the two arts, between auditory and visual experiences. For example, when taking photographs, he imagines the rhythm and mood of certain musical styles in order to create his image composition. Conversely, when making music, he sees film scenes in front of him and uses the harmonica to develop corresponding sound colours and flows.
For Q-Chen, his artistic life as a musician and photographer is coherent and varied. “This way of working and living allows me to switch seamlessly between the two without getting tired quickly. It also helps me to find a balance between the two.”