MENGWEN
CAO
曹梦雯


photographer, artist, educator
creating multimedia affirmations
for transformation

COMMISSIONED WORK  
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   SUNSET STUDIO
   

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    IDareU2Feel RADIO  
         i love you,  but i have to say goodbye
    LIMINAL SPACE
    I STAND BETWEEN
    HERE WE ARE
    
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I love you, but I have to leave now (2024)




As I prepare to leave New York temporarily for the next chapter of my life, I wanted to create a ritual that honors the people and places that have shaped me. 

Saying goodbye has always been difficult for me, but this project is an attempt to face that challenge head-on, to embrace the beauty and pain that comes with transition. As part of the Chinese diaspora, I've constantly navigated belonging, and this farewell carries both grief and love-a testament to the connections I've built. 

Through collaborative portraits, I've invited friends and family to visualize their future selves and write affirmations for our collective future. These wisdoms feel like an anchor in uncertain times. By facing the act of saying goodbye through these shared, intimate moments, I've come to realize that perhaps it isn't as scary as it seems. Grief is part of love's cycle, and this project has allowed me to embrace that.


The project was incubated with the support of Polaorid and Magnum Photo’s Real Life is not Black & White open call.  








EXHIBITION

  • 2024/11: Paris Photo: Real Life is Not Black and White 


PRESS