Biography
Sandra Chen Weinstein is a documentary and fine art photographer residing in Virginia and Southern California. She has lived in Washington, DC. , Japan, Taiwan, China while working at American Agency. She studied Ceramics in Japan and DC before she started her photography in 2007.
She has twice been selected to participate in Magnum Workshops in cooperation with Nooderlicht Photofestival with Stuart Franklin in The Netherlands 2009, and White Chapel Art Gallery with Ian Berry, London 2011.She has also worked as assistant to Magnum Photographer Eli Reed 2007-2008. Her photographic art is greatly inspired and influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Susan Meisela.
Sandra's work focuses on documentary photography emphasizing social identity, culture, and minorities. She has dedicated, long-term projects on women, LGBTQIA, minorities, and American pop culture.
Sandra has received numerous distinguished awards including First Place Award for Allegany Arts Council, Director's Choice Award First Place Award CENTER (2020). 1st Prize (Open Category) Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards (2017), 1st Place Robert Cornelius Portrait Award. Reader's Collection and international contest winner for National Geographic Magazine. Runner -Up for International Conservation Award in Culture. Winners of the American Photography 2019, 2017, 2014 & Annual Book Collection and The Archive New York, Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. Deepest Perspective for IPA. 1st Place for Sport for PX3 France and more.
Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally including such galleries as: Contemporary Museum of Modern Art DC, Aperture Gallery, Annenberg Space of Photography, Museum of Fine Art Washington County, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, MIRAGE GALLERY JAPAN, Whitechapel Art gallery UK, MOPLA, Photo LA, Griffin Museum, Pacific Asia Museum, The Center for Fine Art, Stanford Space Stanford University and more.
Internationally: MT. Rokko Photo Fest Japan, PingYao International PhotoFestivalChina; Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Auckland Festival of Photography, HeadOn Photo Festival, Thai-US International Exhibition with Steve McCurry, Bangkok. SKM International Photofestival in Taipei. Her work is in several private collections.