Current Exhibition

Wei Jian Chan: ‘Journey to the West 24-25 October 2025

Aperture Gallery is proud to present the exhibition and book launch of ‘Journey to the West’ by Wei Jian Chan, to be held on 24-25 October 2025.

Artist’s Statement

In September 2012, I drifted across the ocean and found myself in an unfamiliar land. Leaving behind family, friends, and the comfort of home, I left Singapore and embarked on a new life in the UK. For me, it was a time of great personal growth, as I set about to integrate into a foreign culture and find my place in the world.

This series uses the anonymity, geometry, and formal visual language of my street photography to evoke the sense of dislocation and uncertainty I felt over this period.

The title ‘Journey to the West’ comes from a Ming dynasty Chinese myth about the journey of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang who travelled to the ‘Western Regions’ to obtain Buddhist sacred texts (sutras). 

Photobook Details

Published by Setanta Books.

Hardback | 250 x 330 mm | 60 pages | 32 images

Special Editions with signed 12” x 8” limited edition prints available.

About the Artist

Wei Jian Chan (b.1991) is a Singaporean-born photographer based in London, whose work seeks to find beauty in the chaos of modern life.

Wei Jian first picked up a camera at the age of 14 while growing up in Singapore. Over the years, as he moved to Oxford to attend university and to London for work, the camera has been his constant companion. In his time behind the camera, photography has grown from a pastime into a source of inspiration and a passport to new experiences.

Working primarily in black-and-white, Wei Jian utilises both traditional wet darkroom processes and modern digital techniques in his work. His work frequently incorporates elements of geometry, architecture, and motion.

Wei Jian’s photography has been exhibited in various locations in the UK and Europe, and has been acquired to form part of the permanent collection of the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Art. It has also been published by The Guardian, Deutsche Welle, National Geographic, Amateur Photographer, and Leica Camera, among other publications/ organisations.

To find out more about Wei Jian, visit his website at www.weijianchan.com