Arien Chang Castán Havana, Cuba | 1979

Arien Chang is a self-taught photographer whose imagery intimately portrays daily life in Cuba across both urban and rural settings. Chang's photography shows his fascination and need to record the complexities of his surroundings. He has traveled throughout his country in search of individuals and characters related to the cultural landscape he wishes to document.

Chang's work can be placed among a generation of Cuban photographers working within a strong documentary tradition, yet his early influences came from studying the work of photographers belonging to the Magnum Photos Agency. His own practice shifts the focus toward individual stories, underworld, and personal expressions that define Cuba’s social and cultural fabric. He explores areas in Cuban society that are generally ignored in Cuban documentary photography. Themes like the rodeo, gay culture and bodybuilding are reflected in his work.

His work has been exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions, alongside photographers including Stephen Dupont, Alan Harvey, Alex Webb, Yuri Kazyred, James Nachtwey, and Francesco Zizola. He has collaborated with the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops and National Geographic, and taught workshops for students from Cal Poly, San Jose State University, and NYU. Recognitions include the Red Gate Residency in China and the Habana Cultura scholarship, both awarded in 2013.

Chang’s photographs have appeared in publications such as Take Magazine (Australia, 2013), Slanted: Cuba, The New Generation (Germany, 2013), National Geographic (USA, 2014), Arte Cubano (Cuba, 2014), Burn Magazine - Magnum (2015), Smithsonian Journeys (2016) together with photographers of Magnum Photos Agency, and ART OnCuba Magazine (Cuba, 2018).

His work is held in collections across Spain, Bolivia, Germany, Denmark, Mexico, Brazil, China and the United States.

He lives and works in New York City.