Pao-Pao and Hsiao-Ying

作品賞析

CHEN Jìng-Bao’s photographs focus on the lives of ordinary people as well as the culture and lifestyles at different levels of society. “Pao-Pao and Hsiao-Ying” is a portrait of people that specifically focuses on the betel nut girls of Taiwan’s betel nut culture. Betel nut girls are part of an industry that branched from local folk culture and reflects upon the socio-economic production model in Taiwanese society. By using this series of works, CHEN Jìng-Bao conveys the lifestyle and values of the post-war generation and the cultural phenomenon where women’s bodies are objectified into a consumerist product. The camera lens successfully recaptures the heavy makeup and revealing outfits worn by the betel nuts girls while exposing the less-known dimension of their lives.