Photographer Documents American Fathers Who Adopt Daughters in China

Ou’s statement on her photo series reads:

“By photographing adopted Chinese girls and their Western fathers in America, I try to capture the affection between a female child and an adult male. What is the nature of this complex relationship, especially when different ethnic and cultural backgrounds are introduced? Through the relationship of the emerging feminine power of the adolescent girl to the mature father, each image explores the relation of the two often divided cultures: East and West.

On a broader level, this project reflects my interest in the change of the power relationship between East and West. I am curious about how the West sees the rapid development of contemporary China. The growing girls symbolize the future potential of China. Like the girls adapting to their new situation, China is learning from the West to grow its economy. Is its emergence from regional power to global economic force a change that will be accepted and encouraged? Or will it be seen as a rebellion against the rules that the West has established for others to follow?

Likewise, as the girls grow up, will they remain innocent adoptees under the tutelage of their western patriarchs?  Or will their progression to maturity disturb the relationship’s equilibrium?”

Over 70,000 Chinese children have been adopted by American parents since 1991.

Chinese photographer Zhang Ou documents American fathers with their adopted Chinese daughters in her photo series “Daddy & I.”

For more of Zhang Ou’s artwork visit here.

Check out: CHINA: Film Illustrates Tragedy of Child Abductions

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