Hong Kong-born, Vancouver-raised artist Tseng Kwong Chi was not someone who liked being under the radar. Known for crashing Met Museum galas in the 1980s and befriending art-world moguls, Tseng wanted to be part of the crème de la crème, a silver spoon swirling in high society circles. He developed a fascination with symbols of the Western world, but played them against emblems of the East. Photographing himself in front of American monuments and landmarks, Tseng wears Mao military attire. The resulting black-and-white images are powerful, humorous, and a bit surreal. —E.C.