A Fusion of Chinese Makeup
Photographer: Kin Chung Timothy Cheng
1. What significant life experiences or events have influenced and shaped your artistic vision?
Growing up multilingual and multicultural, with a Korean-Chinese background, shaped how I see identity, beauty, and emotion. I’ve always been fascinated by how people appear and what they’re really feeling, especially in cultures where beauty standards like cosmetic surgery influence how we’re judged. Studying at Parsons gave me the tools to express that tension clearly. I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to assist stylists like Patti Wilson who taught me how to tell a story through instinct and emotion. My work brings those experiences together, combining fashion with vulnerability, and that’s what drives my photography today.
2. Collaboration often sparks fresh creativity. Can you share an example of a collaboration that led to an unexpected and exciting artistic outcome?
One of my most meaningful collaborations has been with my sister. Having her as my muse has deepened my appreciation for Asian beauty and helped me see it through a more personal, emotional lens. She constantly challenges me to take creative risks, whether it’s experimenting with unconventional styling or transforming photographs into sculptural pieces. That shared trust and instinct has sparked some of my most unexpected work and continues to shape how I explore beauty, identity, and emotion through art.
3. Walk us through a specific project that challenged your creative boundaries. How did you approach it, and what did you learn from the experience?
A project that challenged my creative boundaries was my BFA thesis at Parsons. I explored beauty, identity, and what lies beneath the surface, both literally and emotionally. I photographed my mother, who’s usually self-conscious in front of the camera, but because of our close relationship, she trusted me and allowed herself to be seen without filters. I shot her digitally, then layered the image through projection onto a print stretched across lycra spandex fabric.
The result distorted the image in a way that echoed my themes, about how beauty is altered, especially in places like South Korea, where my mother is from and cosmetic surgery is deeply tied to social perception. The process taught me how personal trust can create space for honesty, and how layering mediums can echo emotional complexity.
4. In the ever-evolving art world, what do you believe sets your work apart and makes it unique or groundbreaking?
My work exists at the intersection of fashion, beauty standards, and Asian identity but it resists the clichés tied to all three. I’m drawn to stillness, softness, and inner intensity. What sets my work apart is how I mix polished styling with an almost diary-like intimacy. I shoot both digital and film but the image is just the beginning. Sometimes I physically sculpt or distort my prints to explore texture and disruption. Other times I create painterly visuals that honor the beauty of the subject in a way that feels deeply felt and reverent. Whether it's sculpted or still, I aim to hold tension between control and raw openness.
5. As you reflect on your journey, are there any specific goals or milestones you've set for your artistic career in the coming years?
One of my immediate goals is to be represented by a photo agency and to collaborate more with magazines. I’m also focused on building creative partnerships with stylists, set designers, and emerging Asian artists in NYC. In the long term, I hope to publish a photo book exploring intimacy and Asian masculinity, particularly how makeup is normalized for heterosexual men in South Korea, and how that challenges traditional ideas of masculinity. I also want to deepen my practice in film photography. The slower, more intentional process helps me be more thoughtful with each image, teaching me to value quality over quantity.
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A beauty story featuring my sister and photographed by me, Silken Masks explores the delicate tension between artifice and intimacy. Inspired by traditional Chinese makeup motifs, bold brows, flushed cheeks, and intricate linework, the look is both extravagant and controlled, echoing the stylized femininity of burlesque while grounding it in personal, cultural memory. The makeup becomes a mask, a performance, a form of silent storytelling. Through this shoot, I wanted to capture not just the surface beauty, but the quiet power of transformation and closeness, of photographing someone who feels like home.
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Wardrobe Stylist/Creative Director/Photographer: Kin Chung Timothy Cheng
Model: Dorothy Cheng