About

Rian Dundon (b. 1980) is a photographer living in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of four books, most recently Passenger (Mirrorical, 2024) and Protest City (OSU Press, 2023), and his work has appeared in The New Yorker, Hyperallergic, and The Washington Post among other publications. He teaches photography at Portland State University.

---

Reviews + publications

Portland Monthly / “Protest City Photographer Rian Dundon’s Next Project Is a Quieter Ride.” Trueherz, Matthew. Sep 25, 2024.

The New Yorker / “Revisiting Portland’s 'Summer of Rage'.” Mogelson, Luke. June 20, 2023.

Mother Jones / “Explosive Photos of Portland Amid the 2020 George Floyd Protests.” Murrmann, Mark. June 16, 2023.

The Washington Post / “Once lost, now found, cult classic photobook is available once again.” Dickerman, Kenneth. April 1, 2022.

Oregon Arts Watch / “Portraits of both sides: An interview with a protest photographer.” Andrews, Blake. Jan 28, 2021.

The Nation / “How Many Cameras Does One Protest Need?.” Dundon, Rian. Nov 3, 2020.

The Los Angeles Review of Books / “Second-Tier China.” Hershatter, Gail. Jan. 25, 2020.

The New York Times / “How Fatherhood Alters Your View of the World.” Gonzalez, David. Feb. 20, 2019.

Hyperallergic / “Photos Capture the Rise of a Carefully Crafted Chinese Celebrity.” Voon, Claire. Mar. 23, 2016.

The International Herald Tribune / “Avoiding a ‘Prescribed Version’ of China.” McDonald, Mark. May 8, 2012.

Bibliography

Passenger. 2024. Brooklyn: Mirrorical.

Protest City. 2023. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press.

Fan. 2015. Shenzhen: Modes Vu.

Changsha. 2012. Dublin: Emphas.is.

Going For Broke (anthology, edited by Alissa Quart + David Wallis). 2023. Chicago: Haymarket.

Status Update (exhibition catalog). 2015. Berkeley: Catchlight.

Photographs Not Taken (essays, edited by Will Steacy). 2012. New York: Daylight Books.

Solo + two person shows

(2024) Rian Dundon: Passenger. Burnt Oak Gallery, Oakland, Calif.

(2018) Generations. Burnt Oak Gallery, Oakland, Calif.

(2017) New Life. Burnt Oak Gallery, Oakland, Calif.

(2014) Fan. Schwarzer Montag at Westflügel, Zürich, Switzerland.

(2014) Trust. Loakal Gallery, Oakland, Calif.

(2012) Changsha. Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, Santa Cruz, Calif.

(2009) OK China. Camera Club of New York, New York.

(2008) Chinese Youth. Gulf and Western Gallery, New York University, NYC.

Group shows

(2021) Re-Circulation. Re-fest 2021 at Culturehub, New York, NY.

(2019) New Works from the DPI Faculty and Alumni. NYU Tisch School of the Arts, New York.

(2015) Status Update. Catchlight at SOMArts, San Francisco, Calif.

(2015) City At Large II. Adolph Gasser Photography, San Francisco, Calif.

(2014) Guerrilla Slideshow (projection). Visa pour l’image, Perpignan, France.

(2011) Photo Stories. Saatchi and Saatchi, London.

(2011) Capricious: Being Fashion. Arnhem Mode Biennale, Netherlands.

(2010) Unpublished-Unknown. Fotografia Festival, Rome.

(2010) Chinese Film Sets. Caochangdi Photo Spring, Beijing.

(2010) Ian Parry Scholarship Exhibition. Getty Images Gallery, London.

(2008) Tierney Fellowship Group Show. New York Photo Festival, Brooklyn.

(2007) Transformations: Photography and Imaging at 25. New York University.

(2007) Chinese Youth (projection). Angkor Photography Festival, Siem Reap.

(2006) Flash Forward: Emerging Photographers 2006. Magenta Foundation, Toronto.

Fellowships + awards

(2020) Magnum Foundation / U.S. Dispatches Grant

(2020) Society for Features Journalism / 2nd place, Food feature (w/ Debra Utacia Krol)

(2017) Economic Hardship Reporting Project / Production grant

(2015) Economic Hardship Reporting Project / Production grant

(2015) Silicon Valley Community Foundation + New America Media / Informed Communities Education Reporting Fellowship

(2012) University of California / Porter Graduate Arts Research Committee Grant

(2011) University of California Santa Cruz / Humanities Division Research Fellowship

(2011) The Willis W. and Ethel M. Clark Foundation / Investment in Community Fellowship

(2010) University of California / UC Regents’ Fellowship

(2007) The Tierney Family Foundation / Tierney Fellowship

(2006) Magenta Foundation / Flash Forward: Emerging Photographers

Teaching

(2024-2025) Portland State University – Visiting faculty, Photography

(2024-2024) Clark College (Vancouver, WA) – Visiting faculty, Photography

(2015-2017) San Francisco Art Institute – Visiting faculty, Documentary Photography

(2010-2012) University of California, Santa Cruz – Film + Digital Media; Dept. of Art

(2005-2007) Hunan University (China) – Language Studies; Graduate Studies

(2004-2006) International Center of Photography, New York – Teaching assistant, Documentary Practice & Visual Journalism

Editing

(2015-2021) Contributing author, EHRP

(2016-2018) Photography editor, Timeline

(2015-2016) Editor + curator, Catchlight

(2014-2016) Sub editor, Raw View Magazine

Education

M.A. Social Documentation, University of California, Santa Cruz (2012)

B.F.A. Photography & Imaging, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts (2003)