Science, art combine in photos

Hamilton, OH – Science and art may seem like strange bedfellows, but sometimes the two go hand in hand.

Jingyin Che studied physics at Ohio State University before switching to get his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering in 2023. But he also had a minor in studio art and recetly earned an MFA degree in photography from Indiana University.

Che is one of 11 featured lens artists in the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial exhibition, Milestones: Finding Our Way, whose gallery-opening celebration takes place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 17, at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts. The opening event is free and open to the public. It features an artist talk that includes a Q&A with several of the exhibiting artists at 6 p.m.

Che’s collection of photos – Harmless: To Be Proven – appears in the Riverview Gallery on the second floor. According to his artist’s stament, “The narrative tableaus examine institutional space, migration and geopolitcal tension using cinematic scenarios and dark absurdity to explore how political anxiety shapes visibility, belonging and lived experience.

“These scenes translate psychological and bureaucratic pressure into visible form. …The work reflects on how surveillance, mistrust and institutional power turn uncertainty into an ordinary condition – one many scholars are left to endure in silence.”

A native of Yangzhou – a city of 4.6 million in eastern China along the banks of the Yangtze River – Che now lives in Bloomington, Indiana, and teaches Intro to Studio Art For Non-Majors at IU. He is preparing an O-1B petition to continue developing his artistic and teaching practice in the United States.

“Most of my students are from the business school,” Che said. “It’s a relatively chill class for them. I hope they get some enjoyment out of it and it gives them some relief from the stress and pressure of their business classes. I want them to open a door or a window into a different way of looking at the world.”

Che comes by his artistic inclinations honestly. His great-grandfather was a wood-block artist in China before World War II. He enjoys both the precision and the freedom he finds behind the camera.

“Photography carries a relatively objective way to create art,” Che said. “You have to manipulate the shutter speed, aperture, light and angles very precisely. But it’s also a completely subjective way to look at the world. You can create and comment on your own reality through photos.

“Photography is a way to process my experiences between China and the United States and to tell stories that are often left outside the conventional idea of the American dream.”

Milestones: Finding Our Way is on view through January 8, 2027. Fitton Center exhibitions are always free and open to the public thanks in part to the City of Hamilton (Lead Series Sponsor), Neil and Honi Cohen (Supporting Series Sponsor) and Penny Brooks and PJ & Cindy Sturdevant (Milestones Exhibition Sponsors).

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.

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