Mengwen Cao is a photographer, artist and educator. Born and raised in China, they are currently based in New York. As a queer immigrant, they use care and tenderness to explore spaces between race, gender, and cultural identity. As a board member of Authority Collective and a founding member of Chinese Storytellers, they are championing diverse narratives and perspectives in the media industry.
Their projects have been featured in publications like Aperture, The New York Times, NPR, Mashable, BUST, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, Sina, Tencent. They have participated in international exhibitions like Photoville, Jimei Arles, Lianzhou Foto Festival. Mengwen graduated from the New Media Narratives and Documentary Practice program at the International Center of Photography. They received NLGJA’s Excellence in Photojournalism Award in 2019. They were recognized by The Lit List in 2018, PDN 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch in 2019 and World Press Photo 6x6 Asia Talent in 2020.
Their projects have been featured in publications like Aperture, The New York Times, NPR, Mashable, BUST, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, Sina, Tencent. They have participated in international exhibitions like Photoville, Jimei Arles, Lianzhou Foto Festival. Mengwen graduated from the New Media Narratives and Documentary Practice program at the International Center of Photography. They received NLGJA’s Excellence in Photojournalism Award in 2019. They were recognized by The Lit List in 2018, PDN 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch in 2019 and World Press Photo 6x6 Asia Talent in 2020.
2020
World Press Photo 6x6 Asia Talent
2019
Life After Slavery, Best Multimedia Piece, UK Anti-Slavery Day Media Awards.
PDN 30 New & Emerging Photographers to Watch.
Excellence in Photojournalism Award; NLGJA (The Association of LGBTQ Journalists)
2018
Magnum Foundation Fellow.
The Lit List: 30 Photographers to Watch; Authority Collective.
The New York Times Portfolio Review.
Blink Portfolio Review.
Zhongnanshan Art Residency; Xi’An, China.
World Press Photo 6x6 Asia Talent
2019
Life After Slavery, Best Multimedia Piece, UK Anti-Slavery Day Media Awards.
PDN 30 New & Emerging Photographers to Watch.
Excellence in Photojournalism Award; NLGJA (The Association of LGBTQ Journalists)
2018
Magnum Foundation Fellow.
The Lit List: 30 Photographers to Watch; Authority Collective.
The New York Times Portfolio Review.
Blink Portfolio Review.
Zhongnanshan Art Residency; Xi’An, China.
An Artist’s Quest to Show People Exactly as They Are, The New York Times T Brand x Google Pixel, 2021
The Queer Quarantine, Washington Post, June 21, 2021
Aperture: How a Chinese Photographer Navigates Queer Identity and Resilience, Aperture, Nov 16, 2020
I Stand Between, Neocha, May 27, 2019
PDN 30, April 2019
Reconciling Asian-American Identity Within Transracial Adoptions, The New York Times, Feb 14, 2019
Coming Out to My Parents in China by Video, The New York Times, June 22, 2018
Watch This Chinese Artist Come Out To Her Parents In An Incredibly Moving Video, BUST, Aug 29, 2017
Love, Your Queer Daughter, Mashable, Oct 11, 2016
The Queer Quarantine, Washington Post, June 21, 2021
Aperture: How a Chinese Photographer Navigates Queer Identity and Resilience, Aperture, Nov 16, 2020
I Stand Between, Neocha, May 27, 2019
PDN 30, April 2019
Reconciling Asian-American Identity Within Transracial Adoptions, The New York Times, Feb 14, 2019
Coming Out to My Parents in China by Video, The New York Times, June 22, 2018
Watch This Chinese Artist Come Out To Her Parents In An Incredibly Moving Video, BUST, Aug 29, 2017
Love, Your Queer Daughter, Mashable, Oct 11, 2016
2021
Be Spoken World, Times Square, New York.
Chosen, TRNK x Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, New York, New York.
2020
Construccio de la identitat, Barcelona.
2019
Parallax, curated by Authority Collective, Instagram Headquarter, New York, New York.
Parallax, curated by Authority Collective, Photoville, New York, New York.
PDN 30, Photoville, New York, New York.
Parallax, curated by Authority Collective, Photoville, Los Angeles, California.
Refest 2019, Culture Hub, New York, New York.
Fluctuation (China Pulse, 2018, Jimei Arles; Xiamen, China.
Queer & Trans Asian Short Films, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
2018
Lit List, Photoville; Brooklyn, New York.
What We Say in Cars, New York.
And the Nanshan Mountains Echoed, Xi'an, China.
2017
Lianzhou Photography Festival; Lianzhou, China.
Hidden Narratives, ICP School, Rita K. Hillman Gallery, New York.
2016
Public, Private, Secret, The Museum of International Center of Photography, New York.
Another Kind of Paradise, ICP School, Rita K. Hillman Gallery, New York.
Open Show NYC, Bronx Documentary Center, New York.
Be Spoken World, Times Square, New York.
Chosen, TRNK x Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, New York, New York.
2020
Construccio de la identitat, Barcelona.
2019
Parallax, curated by Authority Collective, Instagram Headquarter, New York, New York.
Parallax, curated by Authority Collective, Photoville, New York, New York.
PDN 30, Photoville, New York, New York.
Parallax, curated by Authority Collective, Photoville, Los Angeles, California.
Refest 2019, Culture Hub, New York, New York.
Fluctuation (China Pulse, 2018, Jimei Arles; Xiamen, China.
Queer & Trans Asian Short Films, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
2018
Lit List, Photoville; Brooklyn, New York.
What We Say in Cars, New York.
And the Nanshan Mountains Echoed, Xi'an, China.
2017
Lianzhou Photography Festival; Lianzhou, China.
Hidden Narratives, ICP School, Rita K. Hillman Gallery, New York.
2016
Public, Private, Secret, The Museum of International Center of Photography, New York.
Another Kind of Paradise, ICP School, Rita K. Hillman Gallery, New York.
Open Show NYC, Bronx Documentary Center, New York.
