2024
An Absent Stamboom
An Absent Stamboom is a photo book derived from the family archives and oral histories of David Zee. It narrates the story of a third-generation Dutch-Chinese immigrant through family documents, the migration and cultural integration of Chinese people in a global context, using the photobook as a medium to deconstruct the unknown century-long narrative of Chinese people in the Netherlands. The book is a collaborative effort between David Zee, a third-generation Chinese immigrant, and Vera Yijun Zhou, a first-generation Chinese immigrant artist and publisher who moved to the Netherlands in 2020.
The story begins in a common family in Ningbo in the 19th century. In 1894, a boy named Che Chai Zee was born here. He lost his father at the age of 9 and became a sailor in Shanghai at the age of 14, beginning his travels around the world. In 1911, a major sailors’ strike occurred in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. To curb the movement, sailors were brought in from England, and thus, on the early morning of June 17th, 90 Chinese sailors landed in Rotterdam by moonlight. This was the first time Chinese people had reached the European continent in modern times. Afterwards, this area of Rotterdam became the most important Chinatown and Chinese community in 20th-century Europe. Che Chai Zee first arrived in the Netherlands in 1912 and settled in Katendrecht after 1920, marrying a Dutch woman and starting a family. This family witnessed the ups and downs of Chinese immigrants in the Netherlands and across Europe over a century.
In the photobook, Vera explores a concept she terms “image immigration,” which is about representing the process of integration and migration through visual means. This approach not only captures the movement and struggles associated with migration but also underscores the dynamic and fluid nature of visual media. By focusing on how images reflect cultural fusion and serve as cultural projections of migration expectations, the project offers insights into the complex relationship between visual representations, migration stories, and cultural blending, using historical archives as a backdrop for this exploration.
During a year-long collaboration, the dummy of An Absent Stamboom will be presented at Belvedere Stories House on April 28th. On April 29th, David, accompanied by Vera, will embark on his first return trip to Ningbo. On May 2nd, they will also hold a sharing session for this book at JZZP Jiazazhi in Ningbo. JZZP Jiazazhi will also publish this photobook later
Part 1: An Absent Stamboom
200 pages; 45,000 words; English and Chinese.
Text by David Zee, edited by Vera Zhou, Chinese translation by Vera Zhou and Qiushi Zhang.
Archives from David Zee’s family archive. Design and photographs by Vera Zhou.
Part 2: Living in Limbo
32 pages; 1432 words; English and Chinese.
Text by Vera Zhou, translated by Vera Zhou; Design and photographs by Vera Zhou.
Cover laser cutting, CMYK print
Designed by Vera Yijun Zhou
An Absent Stamboom is a photo book derived from the family archives and oral histories of David Zee. It narrates the story of a third-generation Dutch-Chinese immigrant through family documents, the migration and cultural integration of Chinese people in a global context, using the photobook as a medium to deconstruct the unknown century-long narrative of Chinese people in the Netherlands. The book is a collaborative effort between David Zee, a third-generation Chinese immigrant, and Vera Yijun Zhou, a first-generation Chinese immigrant artist and publisher who moved to the Netherlands in 2020.
The story begins in a common family in Ningbo in the 19th century. In 1894, a boy named Che Chai Zee was born here. He lost his father at the age of 9 and became a sailor in Shanghai at the age of 14, beginning his travels around the world. In 1911, a major sailors’ strike occurred in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. To curb the movement, sailors were brought in from England, and thus, on the early morning of June 17th, 90 Chinese sailors landed in Rotterdam by moonlight. This was the first time Chinese people had reached the European continent in modern times. Afterwards, this area of Rotterdam became the most important Chinatown and Chinese community in 20th-century Europe. Che Chai Zee first arrived in the Netherlands in 1912 and settled in Katendrecht after 1920, marrying a Dutch woman and starting a family. This family witnessed the ups and downs of Chinese immigrants in the Netherlands and across Europe over a century.
In the photobook, Vera explores a concept she terms “image immigration,” which is about representing the process of integration and migration through visual means. This approach not only captures the movement and struggles associated with migration but also underscores the dynamic and fluid nature of visual media. By focusing on how images reflect cultural fusion and serve as cultural projections of migration expectations, the project offers insights into the complex relationship between visual representations, migration stories, and cultural blending, using historical archives as a backdrop for this exploration.
During a year-long collaboration, the dummy of An Absent Stamboom will be presented at Belvedere Stories House on April 28th. On April 29th, David, accompanied by Vera, will embark on his first return trip to Ningbo. On May 2nd, they will also hold a sharing session for this book at JZZP Jiazazhi in Ningbo. JZZP Jiazazhi will also publish this photobook later
The story begins in a common family in Ningbo in the 19th century. In 1894, a boy named Che Chai Zee was born here. He lost his father at the age of 9 and became a sailor in Shanghai at the age of 14, beginning his travels around the world. In 1911, a major sailors’ strike occurred in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. To curb the movement, sailors were brought in from England, and thus, on the early morning of June 17th, 90 Chinese sailors landed in Rotterdam by moonlight. This was the first time Chinese people had reached the European continent in modern times. Afterwards, this area of Rotterdam became the most important Chinatown and Chinese community in 20th-century Europe. Che Chai Zee first arrived in the Netherlands in 1912 and settled in Katendrecht after 1920, marrying a Dutch woman and starting a family. This family witnessed the ups and downs of Chinese immigrants in the Netherlands and across Europe over a century.
In the photobook, Vera explores a concept she terms “image immigration,” which is about representing the process of integration and migration through visual means. This approach not only captures the movement and struggles associated with migration but also underscores the dynamic and fluid nature of visual media. By focusing on how images reflect cultural fusion and serve as cultural projections of migration expectations, the project offers insights into the complex relationship between visual representations, migration stories, and cultural blending, using historical archives as a backdrop for this exploration.
During a year-long collaboration, the dummy of An Absent Stamboom will be presented at Belvedere Stories House on April 28th. On April 29th, David, accompanied by Vera, will embark on his first return trip to Ningbo. On May 2nd, they will also hold a sharing session for this book at JZZP Jiazazhi in Ningbo. JZZP Jiazazhi will also publish this photobook later
Part 1: An Absent Stamboom
200 pages; 45,000 words; English and Chinese.
Text by David Zee, edited by Vera Zhou, Chinese translation by Vera Zhou and Qiushi Zhang.
Archives from David Zee’s family archive. Design and photographs by Vera Zhou.
Part 2: Living in Limbo
32 pages; 1432 words; English and Chinese.
Text by Vera Zhou, translated by Vera Zhou; Design and photographs by Vera Zhou.
Cover laser cutting, CMYK print
Designed by Vera Yijun Zhou
200 pages; 45,000 words; English and Chinese.
Text by David Zee, edited by Vera Zhou, Chinese translation by Vera Zhou and Qiushi Zhang.
Archives from David Zee’s family archive. Design and photographs by Vera Zhou.
Part 2: Living in Limbo
32 pages; 1432 words; English and Chinese.
Text by Vera Zhou, translated by Vera Zhou; Design and photographs by Vera Zhou.
Cover laser cutting, CMYK print
Designed by Vera Yijun Zhou
