Photographer explores cultural identity between East and West

A popular photography exhibition which explores the identity of individuals within the British-born Chinese community will be shown in London for the second time.

The exhibition, titled "Between East and West", is the work of the British born photographer Mike Tsang, and will be shown at the London School of Economics and Political Science from February 23 to April 1 this year.

As a London-born second-generation Mauritian and third-generation Chinese, Tsang says the mix of cultures in his upbringing has prompted him to search for his roots, and this project is a key part on this journey.

The exhibition documents the stories of 15 British-born Chinese and their families' lives in the UK. Combining photographic portraits, interview excerpts and archived images, the exhibition is a striking portrayal of Britain's Chinese community, which traditionally has had a modest profile in the country.

The exhibition was initially shown in 2012, at the SW1 Gallery in Victoria, London, and has received great audience reception and feedback.

Tsang says British born Chinese viewers visiting the exhibition really identified with the stories shown, and felt a sense of nostalgia when reading through the stories. "And they said, 'that's my story too.' I think the feeling of being in between cultures is a universal story."

Tsang took 18 months to complete the project after receiving financial support from a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. He found his first interviewees through personal connections, but as word about the project spread, many people volunteered to be participants.

Tsang's interviewees were drawn from a wide range of occupations – an actor, policeman, medical shop owner, music producer and artist, to name a few. Like Tsang, many of them also had families that lived elsewhere before moving to Britain.

Tsang said that working on the project has helped him to better understand his own identity, and that of his Mauritian-born parents. His grandparents moved from China to Mauritius to create a better living for themselves, and his parents have since then moved to the UK.

"Although my parents have never visited China, they identify with Chinese culture, practice many Chinese traditions, and celebrate many Chinese cultural festivals. They consider themselves to be Chinese," Tsang says.

He says such an identity is also present in many of the second generation Chinese migrants that he interviewed, because cultural values and traditions are passed down the generations.

Like many second- and third-generation British-born Chinese children, Tsang's upbringing made him value academic achievement. After completing a mathematics degree from the University of Warwick, he worked in professional services for five years, before deciding to become a photographer.

Tsang has visited China once, backpacking in South and West China, although he felt he was too young at the time to experience the country's cultural connection with himself.

He has also been to Mauritius five times, the first time when he was two years old. In recent years, he has also taken many photographs in the country, and says he would like to do more photography projects there.

In addition to "Between East and West", Tsang is also working on a project called South Bank Stories, which features photographic portraits accompanied by oral history interviews, that document the changes of London's South Bank, an area that has undergone significant transformations over the last generation. The exhibition will be shown this summer.

"Between East and West" will be shown at Atrium Gallery, OId Building, of the London School of Economics and Political Science from February 23 to April 1, 10am-8pm, Monday to Friday.