As a photographer and creative director, I am heavily inspired by film-style photography and often reflect my individual points of view, informed by my Taiwanese cultural background and experiences, through editorial proposals. Initially playing with my mother's old Canon camera for street photography, I upgraded my instrument to a Fujifilm X-T5 and have experimented with it for the last three years at university, challenging myself with documentary and studio photography practices, aiming to achieve a professional level, and further working in the industry.

Exploring themes of identity, feminism, and emotions, I forced myself to investigate more complex concepts than those found in traditional fashion editorials. Combining cultural heritage and inspired by countless movies, I developed an interest in creating contextual narratives through images, aiming to present unique perspectives and outcomes for visual communication within the creative industry.

Chapter 01 // THE BIRTH, THE UNDESIRED

Starting the narrative from the beginning of the life cycle, I would like to focus on the gender imbalance phenomenon in Asia, especially exploring the emotional influences of "drowning the daughters".

According to the Gender Equality Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Asia has the highest male-female ratio of newborns (119:100), far exceeding the global average of 107:100 — a figure that reflects the persistent condition of son-preference shaped by patriarchal traditions. This cultural bias strengthens the entrenched ideal of "carrying on the family name." It limits the paths available to girls, whose futures are often redirected toward stability, sacrifice, and family-oriented roles.

Furthermore, the phenomenon of eldest daughter syndrome becomes more prevalent where the eldest girls, often in place of absent sons, are burdened with emotional labour, caretaking, and responsibility beyond their ages. These daughters grew up learning to earn approval through silence, obedience, and perfection, and were trapped in the quiet grief of being “unwanted but necessary.”

This project aims to reflect on the absence, invisibility, and the erased potential of daughters: both those who were never born, and those who lived, but were never truly seen.

Beneath the silent waters, a trembling ripple dreams.

Credits

Creative Director: Cecilia Huang

Photographer: Cecilia Huang

Stylist: Cecilia Huang, Skokie Hung, Jessie Hu

Model: Jessie Hu

Location: Manchester

Chapter 02 // THE GROWTH, THE CAROUSEL

Continuing the narrative into the stage of childhood and adolescence, I thought to aim at a common issue in Asian society, generally about the pressure of studying and the lack of playful memories. Through imagined scenes of joy, colour, and innocence, this project explores the contrast between the childhood people wished for and the reality they were given: one shaped by discipline, surveillance, and silent expectations.

Seen through a female lens and rooted in the context of many Asian households, these images are not memories, but imagined moments: playgrounds never visited, toys never unboxed, and laughter that lived only in secret. Behind each playful frame is the quiet ache of confinement, and the dialogue with oneself across time.

— What becomes of a child when her only freedom is to imagine joy?

Chapter 05 // THE DEATH, THE ELEGY

Ending the narrative with the death issue, I was inspired by the funeral rituals in Taiwan, with a special character called the "filial daughter", and I would like to have my model act like this special cultural role.

This chapter centres on the traditional funeral customs of Taiwan, where mourning becomes not only a personal emotion but also a public, ritualised performance. Through carefully composed scenes, this work highlights the cultural textures that surround death: the incense smoke curling through ancestral halls, and also involving the figure of the “filial daughter”, a role sometimes seen as both duty and vocation — the one who weeps, kneels, and grieves on behalf of the family. Her presence is not solely about sorrow but about honouring the cycle of life and demonstrating devotion in its most visible form.

Rather than focusing on grief, this project pays tribute to the visual richness and deep-rooted traditions that shape how Taiwanese communities express their condolences in the face of loss. Within these images, mourning becomes an act of beauty, structure, and cultural continuity.

What lingers

is not the sorrow,

but the ember she carries.

Credits

Creative Director: Cecilia Huang

Photographer: Cecilia Huang

Stylist: Cecilia Huang, Isabella Ng

Model: Isabella Ng

Location: Manchester

Within the endless spin,

Credits

Creative Director: Cecilia Huang

Photographer: Cecilia Huang

Stylist: Cecilia Huang, Liyun Wang

Model: Liyun Wang

Location: Sheffield

Credits

Creative Director: Cecilia Huang

Photographer: Cecilia Huang

Photography Assistant: Xueshijia Wang

Stylist: Cecilia Huang, Ammerite Wang

Model: Ammerite Wang

Location: Manchester

a childhood faded away.

Chapter 03 // THE SICKNESS, THE MONOLOGUE

To continue the narrative of the whole, I plan to work on individual trauma in the third chapter and on collective trauma in the fourth, both of which present the "sickness" issue.

Having the experience of undergoing a long period of depression, I am willing to present the psychological state of how people struggle through the symptoms, and the misunderstanding or prejudice of how the Asian society often reacts to those patients.

By focusing on different aspects of how an individual responds to emotions, I aim to create a narrative of dealing with oneself, healing oneself, and the long process of reconciliation.

(when the shadow of sorrow sinks)

Chapter 04 // THE SICKNESS, THE ECHO

The Echo is an exploration of the collective trauma borne by Taiwanese people in their fight for democracy — a movement that is not only political but also deeply personal, generational, and ongoing. Set against the quiet strength of forests and tree-lined parks, this series places bodies in motion within nature’s stillness, capturing the tension between resistance and reflection.

By focusing on the visual language of motion — blurred bodies, trembling crowds, rushing shadows — the images capture the urgency and fragility of change. This is a story of a people in motion: not yet arrived, not yet healed, but never still.