NYSID is pleased to present an exhibition of the photographs of alumna Kitty Chou (BFA, 2009). Chou is currently practicing interior design in her native Hong Kong, however, she considers photography her primary medium of expression.  This exhibition explores Chou’s photo journalistic and organic approach to photography.

Approximately 25 photographs will be on view, presenting a range of subject matter, from images of serene nature and quiet still lives to photographs of urban streetscapes and iconic landmarks. Many of the photographs are captured when Chou is in some mode of transportation, such as an airplane or vehicle.

The title, The Accidental Photographer, is a reference to Chou’s photographic pursuits, which began over 20 years ago after seeing an exhibition of work of the famed photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson.  The title is also a reference to her belief that all photographs tell a moment in history, as one happens upon or passes by the image of that moment, as an accidental photographer.

For Chou, both interior design and photography allow her to explore composition, line, form, texture, color, and feeling, but from completely different perspectives. "Interior design served as the perfect counterpoint to photography – the yin to the yang of my artistic self,” says Chou. “The spontaneity and fleeting nature of my moment-driven photography was balanced by the staged deliberateness of interior design.”