Prayer

Hon Chow (Joseph) Lai explores the interplay of light, motion, and form through street, narrative, and fine art photography. Born in Taiwan and raised in New York, he draws from both Eastern and Western cultural influences, which shape his perspective and artistic voice. He was born into a family of filmmakers—his father and cousin were both honored with the Golden Horse Lifetime Achievement Awards, Taiwan’s highest recognition in cinema. This creative legacy made a deep impression on him from an early age, nurturing a visual sensitivity that would later evolve into photography. After earning an MBA from New York University, Joseph built a successful career as a publicist in luxury and fashion branding, working with iconic brands such as Bulgari, Chanel, Vacheron Constantin, Georg Jensen, Ferrari, and Louis XIII, just to name a few. This experience refined his aesthetic eye and deepened his understanding of visual storytelling. Now committed to his creative journey, Joseph focuses more seriously on developing his photographic practice. His street photography captures fleeting urban moments with depth and contrast, while his fine art images transform movement and texture into expressive visual forms. United by a fascination with shadow and illumination, his work invites new ways of seeing. His photography has been recognized by the New York Photography Awards, PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, Tokyo International Foto Awards, refocus Awards, and the Annual Photography Awards, and it has been featured in group exhibitions in Taipei, Taiwan, Kyoto, Japan, and Budapest, Hungary.