A focus on ‘quiet, overlooked details’

Wei Chao’s photographs on display at Pound Ridge Library

Clockwise from top left, photographer Wei Chao,  "Steadfast Gaze," "Echoes in Sand", "The Skywatcher," and "Perseverance in Ripening," taken in Hualian, Taiwan, 2019. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

By NEAL RENTZ

Wei Chao, who grew up in Taiwan and moved to Bangkok when he was 17, remembers how he became interested in photography.  

“Everything felt fresh and unfamiliar, and since I didn’t speak the language, I often found myself quietly observing the world around me,” Chao recalled recently. 

Chao signed up for a photography class in high school and started wandering the streets of Bangkok, taking pictures of whatever caught his eye. 

“One day, my teacher, Mr. Paul Griffin, who I keep in touch with to this day, submitted one of my photos to a student competition. To my surprise, it won an award,” Chao said. “It was the first time I felt recognized for something I created. That experience inspired me to study photography in college. Photography has become a form of meditation for me and a way to see things from different perspectives.”

Chao’s works are being presented during a solo exhibition, titled “Invisible Worlds and Silent Colors” through Sept. 13 at the Pound Ridge Library. 

“This exhibit grew organically out of my visits to Pound Ridge, where I spent many peaceful weekends hiking and photographing the quiet woods and winding backroads,” Chao told The Recorder. “A close friend who often visits the Pound Ridge Library suggested it might be a great place to share my photography. Marilyn Tinter from the library reached out to Chao and invited him to be featured in an exhibit.

“It felt like the perfect fit,” he said. “The library is more than just a community hub. It’s a welcoming and creative space. I’m grateful for the chance to share my pictures in a setting that feels local, personal and quietly beautiful.”

The exhibit includes 18 images, with half of the photos black and white and half in color.

“The black-and-white works were taken using a modified infrared camera that captures light beyond what the human eye can see,” Chao said. “These images reveal hidden layers in our environment as they explore the relationship between people and place, highlighting cultural differences while also pointing to shared experiences. ’Invisible Worlds’ invites viewers to see the world through a wider spectrum of light and feeling.”

“The color photographs focus on quiet, often overlooked details captured during my travels,” Chao said. “These scenes reward patience and presence, revealing beauty in the everyday. ‘Hidden Colors’ refers to how light and time shift our perception, turning ordinary moments into something more meaningful. Together, the two series offer an invitation to slow down and look more closely.”

The exhibit explores stillness, transience and quiet attention, Chao said. “Many of the photographs are subtle studies of light, texture and mood. They invite the viewer to slow down and notice small moments that might otherwise go unseen. The work is about seeing more by pausing more.”

Chao, who has lived in the East Village in New York City for nearly 30 years, said the 18 photos on display come from various chapters of his road travels, whether near or far away. 

“Some were captured during long bike journeys through unfamiliar landscapes. Others were taken close to home,” he said. “Despite their different and varied origins, they share a common thread, a sense of stillness in the midst of an often incessant world. These are not images of spectacle. Each one is a quiet interruption, a gesture toward something fragile, fleeting, yet quietly powerful.”

Though he loves the New York City energy, he enjoys traveling, Chao said.

“Every now and then I like to escape in my campervan to somewhere quiet, especially in winter,” he said. The exhibition will feature photos he took in Jordan, Iceland, Cuba and Taiwan, he noted. 

Though Chao said he was not sure if he was an outstanding photographer yet, he did offer what a good photographer needs to do.

“I think patience, humility and curiosity are a good place to start. Luck helps too, but it’s really about how open you are to seeing, to feeling, to being present,” he said. “It also takes flexibility and a willingness to let go of expectations. I’ve taken some of my favorite photos when I wasn’t intending to take a picture.”

Chao said prints from the exhibit can be purchased at the library, with 25% of the sale proceeds going to support the library fund. Chao will have an artist talk at the library Saturday, Aug. 16, at 1 p.m.

“I’m deeply grateful to the Pound Ridge Library and to everyone who helped bring this exhibit to life,” Chao said. “What moves me most is connecting with others and hearing how these images echo their own memories and moods. It’s a quiet honor to slow down together, share a moment and see new perspectives in life through these quiet frames.”

Chao will have an artist talk at the library Saturday, Aug. 16, at 1 p.m.

Chao said prints from the exhibit can be purchased at the library, with 25% of the sale proceeds going to support the library fund.

The Pound Ridge Library is located at 271 Westchester Ave., Pound Ridge.