To a priest, what is the lived experience in the last years of life? From 2018 to 2020, Taiwanese photographer Ying-Chih Chuang took pictures in a long-term care facility for the retired priests of the Catholic Church, Taiwan. Most of them come from different countries and have served priestly duties in Taiwan for decades. At the very last stage of their life, they chose to remain in Taiwan. This photo book is about the lived experiences of the priests — their longing, fear, and faith for the unknown future — as their bodies grow weaker and gradually lose their function. It is as if they are insisting on seeking a place of light before the candle is finally blown out.

Published in 2021
23 x 27.5 cm
96 pages
Website Link to Book: Here

Showcased as part of Lightbox Photo Library: Travelling Photobook Showcase at the 9th SIPF Photobook Showcase 2024

Artist Biography:

Lives and works in Taipei, Taiwan. She mostly focused on the culture and life experiences of marginalized groups in Taiwan. From 2012 to 2016, she photographed private spaces of a variety of social groups at Ximending, a historical community in Taipei. The photos depict the emotions and feelings in a fading subculture. She subsequently published her first photobook A Topographical Tale of Ximending in 2017. Starting from 2018, she worked on a project to capture the sense of “waiting” among retired priests in a care center at the last stage of their life and self-published the photo book A Time to Scatter Stones in 2021.