A loving document of John Clang’s parents and other transnational families reunited briefly but remembered forever through family portraiture. John Clang has been based in New York since his early twenties. He returns intermittently to visit his elderly parents, brings them on holidays and calls them frequently, but the pain of separation is still a lot to bear for the closely knit family. On a parallel tangent, candid portrait photography sessions of various families, where kin overseas partake live over webcam, record the precious, heartfelt moments of reconnecting with loved ones. Absent Smile is a loving document of Clang’s parents and their mixed feelings of longing yet support for their son. Using the age-old format of family portraiture augmented with digital means, the spectral quality of absent family members projects a tentative reunion across time and space.
