Some four decades ago, high school student Chang Chih-Huei embarked on an audacious experiment to build a rocket with a close friend. While the venture didn't succeed, this formative experience pivoted Chang towards mastering optical mechanical equipment and embracing the intricate art of film photography. In today's age, when mobile devices can swiftly capture each fleeting moment, finding a photographer ardently dedicated to film cameras and the painstaking process of film development in a darkroom is a rarity. Taiwanese photographer Chang Chih-Huei is one such gem. Trained under the esteemed humanist photographer Yizhong Ruan, Chang was his only protégé to specialize in landscape photography. Today, Chang immortalizes nature's serene moments in evocative black and white images, imbuing each photograph with a depth often missed in colour compositions. For Chang, the monochrome medium accentuates nuances, revealing subtleties of moments and allowing dramatic contrasts to emerge. As he concentrates squarely on composition, texture, and form, his work embodies a tranquility rooted in Eastern aesthetics. Chang says of his choice of medium, "I don't reject digital technology; I simply believe it doesn't match the artistic depth I seek." He argues that while digital sensors have come a long way, they cannot rival the dynamic range of film. "Film captures the faintest luminescence and the detailed intricacies of dark recesses, creating a composition rich in subtlety—something often overlooked by digital technology." To Chang, photography is a symphony performed by the subject and the artist. Using mechanical cameras, he crafts a delicate ballet of shadows and textures in his images, manipulating exposures to bring out intricate details. Through his lens, Chang reveals the profound beauty of landscapes, bridging the complex yet beautiful bond between humanity and nature.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 1999 March - Taipei Jazz Image Photography Art Gallery - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / Spirit, Tranquil Landscapes 1999 July - AIT American Cultural Center - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / Spirit, Tranquil Landscapes 1999 October - Taichung Jin Si Art Gallery - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / A Certain Style 2000 March - Taichung Galerie Pierre Art Center - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / Selfless Landscapes 2001 September - Taichung Jin Si Art Gallery - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / Musings of Light 2001 October - Taipei Jazz Image Photography Art Gallery- Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / Musings of Light 2001 November - Taichung City Wujinhang Art Space - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / Musings of Light 2001 November - 10th Art Taipei - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / Xin Yuan Art 2004 October - Taipei Jazz Image Photography Art Gallery - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / CONSCIOUS, No Bamboo in the Chest 2006 May - Osaka, Japan - HANARE Gallery - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition 2008 December - Osaka, Japan - Toyonaka City Gallery176 - Zhang Zhihui Photobook Exhibition 2008 December - Freiburg, Germany - FORMOSA-gallery - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition 2009 December - PHOTO TAIPEI 2009 Taipei Image Art Expo - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / Dian Jing Art 2014 December - Taichung City Natural Way Six Arts Cultural Center - Renaissance of the Four Great Men - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition / Serenity 2020 February - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition - "Wide" at 1969 Blue Sky Hotel 2020 June - Zhang Zhihui Photography Exhibition - "Wide" at Unflavored Lifestyle Aesthetics and Dining Space 2020 July - Zhang Zhihui Art Exhibition - Words and Flowers Cafe 2021 May - Zhang Zhihui Art Exhibition - Tianwei Green Sea Cafe JOINT EXHIBITIONS 2000 June - Eslite Bookstore, Dunhua Branch, Taipei - Hwaguang Art Collective Fundraising Event - "Love Makes Angels Fly" / Asia Travel Group Organization 2003 August - Photographers/ASIA2003/Fuji Photo Salon Joint Exhibition - Nagoya, Japan 2003 November - Photographers/ASIA2003/Exhibition at the Japanese Embassy Cultural Center in Korea 2006 September - Pingyao International Photography Exhibition, China - Cross-Strait Black and White Photography Joint Exhibition 2010 May - "Countenance" - Lang Ching-shan, Zhang Zhihui, Luo Xuhua Photography Joint Exhibition / Dian Jing Art 2011 September - "Two-Person Photography Exhibition: Weng Mingzhe V.S. Zhang Zhihui" / Golden Jubilee Art Gallery 2012 April - "Three Places" Image Creation Joint Exhibition - Zhang Zhihui, Feng Junlan, Chen Zhiju / Zenpin Art 2013 August - The 5th Dali International Photography Festival - Original Works Exhibition by Taiwanese Photography Teachers and Masters / Curated by Lin Tianfu September - The 13th Pingyao International Photography Festival - Original Works Exhibition by Taiwanese Photography Teachers and Masters / Curated by Lin Tianfu October - Beijing Photography Week - Original Works Exhibition by Taiwanese Photography Teachers and Masters / Curated by Lin Tianfu December - Taipei Photography Festival - Original Works Exhibition by Taiwanese Photography Teachers and Masters / Curated by Lin Tianfu 2016 May - "Symbiosis" Photography and Installation Joint Exhibition - Photography by Zhang Zhihui & Installation by Chiu Cheng-hung / Lufu Aesthetics Museum 2019 November - "Heaven and Earth Beauty" / Galaxy 94 Artspace Books July 1999 - Photography Collection by Zhang Zhihui - "Spirit, Tranquility, and Landscape" / Photographer's Publishing House, ISBN 957-97721-4-2 August 2004 - Photography Collection by Zhang Zhihui - "Consciousness Without Preconceptions" / Photographer's Publishing, ISBN 957-0328-24-X
