That time I wished I was a white butterfly reflects the impressions and hardships I encounter as a descendant of immigrants. Seemingly different from the rest of society, I still have to deal with judgmental looks and prejudice, even though I was born and raised in the Czech Republic. In my childhood, it was difficult for me to understand that I just didn’t fit in. Then, as a teenager, the natural desire to belong to a certain group manifested itself. That’s when Czech-Vietnamese people usually start to become more interested in their roots – but for various reasons, they may not find their way in. I’m still standing at an important crossroads: I have to choose which way to go and where I belong.
Hiep Duong Chi
Hiep Duong Chi (b. 1996), who holds a BA from the Institute of Creative Photography in Opava, was born in Děčín, Czechia. Photography formed part of his life from the very beginning; his grandfather ran a photography studio in Vinh, Vietnam, where his mother took photographs before she moved to the Czech Republic in the 1990s. His own work began along the lines of classic documentary photography, exploring notions of family, the Vietnamese community, or following events that caught his attention. During the pandemic, the artist instead began arranging, staging and creating still-lifes and portraits. In this new work, he touches on the realities of life as a second-generation Vietnamese immigrant – That time I wished I was a white butterfly combines references to traditional customs with his own inner feelings.
