Join us for the opening reception of Ethereal Echoes, featuring the work of Artist Chala Jan.

Chala Janpraphasakul is a Scranton-based photographer, an image maker and a computer programmer. Born and raised in Thailand until 1998 when she arrived in New York, learning a new language and getting education in order. After graduating from Hunter College, New York, in 2004 with a Computer Science degree, she relocated to Scranton, PA, and has held a position in a software company. Chala was introduced to photography during her teenage years. A Pentax camera, rolls of black and white film, a darkroom, chemical and prints. But that was a short exposure to photography before many life elements presented themselves as invitation to explore other routes.

During the years in Northeast Pennsylvania, Chala picked up a camera again, revisited the basic knowledge she learned back in highschool. As she explored various styles of photography, she signed up at the International Center of Photography for a well-grounded understanding in digital photography techniques and lighting. She has implemented and polished the traditional knowledge on real-world tasks of capturing events and portraits. Although through experiment and the flexibility of digital image processing, she was inspired to apply photography as a medium to create images of alternative reality.

She was drawn to a surrealist style of photography and found it satisfied her need to transform her imagination, thoughts, feelings or dreams into a story in an image. After attending a workshop on Levitation Photography in 2011, Chala focused on story-telling while creating her images as well as the visual dynamic essence that invokes a viewer’s perception. She merges her subjects with multiplicity, levitation and movements in order to tell a story and to depict the impossible.

The Waverly Small Works Gallery is a project of the F. Lammot Belin Arts Foundation. The Gallery was established in 2017 to provide a place for artists to exhibit work, to promote art appreciation in the community, and to encourage and hearten the human spirit through visual arts.

The Gallery is open for viewing Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, or by appointment.