‘Now and Then’ is a visual exploration of memory, identity and the emotional ties that connect personal and collective histories. Initiated in 2019, the project examines Ye’s family legacy in Tengchong, China alongside evolving Asian diaspora identities in Los Angeles. By layering archival family photographs with contemporary portraits, it creates a dialogue in which nostalgia, longing and resilience shape our understanding of the past and its connection to the present.

Identity often feels mythic, reconstructed from fragments of heritage and personal experience. Ye’s great-grandfather, a Kuomintang general, liberated Tengchong from Japanese occupation in WWII, shaping her family’s history. After the war he immigrated to America with his second family, leaving her first family behind in exile before rebuilding in Guangzhou. These ruptures echo in the lives of Asian communities she documents in Los Angeles, individuals navigating traditions while forging new paths.

Blending past and present, ‘Now and Then’ blurs the boundaries between memory and imagination. Elusive yet familiar, memories offer glimpses of the past while remaining open to interpretation. The images reflect transformation, where identity emerges fluid and dynamic, shaped by echoes of history. This ambiguity amplifies nostalgia, something lost yet still present, comforting yet distant.

Ultimately, ‘Now and Then’ examines how the unknown and familiar shape self-perception, asking what it means to remember where we come from while embracing the complexities of who we are becoming.

Artist Bio:

Leafy Yun Ye  is a photographer from Guangzhou, China. She is based in Los Angeles. Ye’s work explores the poetic ties between cultures, communities, personal experiences and landscapes. Through introspection and collaboration she examines how environments shape individuals.

Her photographs have appeared in NPR and The New York Times. They have also featured in The Guardian, The Atlantic and Bloomberg. Ye was a finalist for the Aperture Portfolio Prize in 2023. Her photography has been exhibited internationally, including at the 2023 Korea International Photo Festival and Photoville New York City.

Ye’s practice reflects a deep curiosity about identity, memory and human connection.