Gabriel Safdie Launches Faces of China in Montreal and the Eastern Townships

Press release. The following was issued by Janis Kirshner, publicist, on behalf of author Gabriel Safdie and is published as received. Canada News Media did not write or edit it. Read our news story: Montreal photographer Gabriel Safdie launches Faces of China.

Gabriel Safdie Launches Faces of China in Montreal and the Eastern Townships

Faces of China by Gabriel Safdie

A remarkable photographic journey through four decades of Chinese life, culture and humanity

Book launches with slide show and Q&A in Montreal, November 22, and Stanstead, November 27

Montreal, October 2026 — Following the successful launch of his photographic memoir Affair with China, Montreal-based author, photographer and businessman Gabriel Safdie returns with his latest publication, Faces of China, an extraordinary collection of portraits offering an intimate and deeply human perspective on a country he has explored for more than four decades. Safdie will celebrate the release of Faces of China with two eye-opening book launch events with slide show and Q&A: Sun. November 22 at Paragraphe Bookstore in Montreal, followed by a second launch on Fri. November 27 at the Haskell Free Library & Opera House in Stanstead, Quebec.

Gabriel Safdie has spent nearly half a century engaging with China through commerce and culture. As head of the Montreal-based textile company Safdie & Co., he travelled there regularly, often combining business with photography, exploration and cultural immersion. His experiences give his work a rare, firsthand perspective on a rapidly changing society.

Spanning some 40 years of photography, the collection takes readers from the bustling industrialized cities of China’s eastern coastal corridor to the remote and sparsely populated regions of Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolia. Each photograph captures not simply a face, but an individual shaped by a particular place, culture and moment in history.

Selected for their individuality and their relationship to their surroundings, the portraits collectively create a rich visual tapestry of human experience. From ordinary encounters to unforgettable expressions, Faces of China offers a rare opportunity to appreciate the character, resilience and diversity of the Chinese people through the eyes of a photographer who has spent decades observing their changing world.

A continuing affair with China

Faces of China builds upon the themes explored in Safdie’s earlier publication, Affair with China, a richly illustrated memoir combining photography, history, personal reflection and cultural observation, launched in April 2026 at the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival in Montreal, where Safdie appeared in conversation with acclaimed Canadian writer Charlie Foran. The book chronicles Safdie’s extensive travels throughout China from the 1980s to the 2020s, documenting the country’s rapid modernization, enduring traditions, contradictions and remarkable cultural heritage.

Where Affair with China examines the transformation of a nation, Faces of China focuses on the individuals who have lived through that transformation. Together, the two publications offer complementary perspectives on China’s evolving identity, bringing together the sweeping forces of history and the deeply personal experiences of its people. “It is especially gratifying to present such an exciting collection of characters that represent an array of people from all corners of China, its minorities, social classes, from the youngest to the oldest, and so on, as depicted in their own natural surroundings of their homes and workplaces,” said Safdie.

About Gabriel Safdie

Born in Jerusalem, Gabriel Safdie moved to Montreal at the age of 13. He pursued studies at McGill University, the University of British Columbia, the University of London and the Sorbonne in Paris.

A former teacher and editor, Safdie later directed his family’s Montreal-based textile business, a career that brought him into close contact with China through international trade. Over nearly half a century, his professional travels developed into a profound personal engagement with the country’s people, history, art and culture.

An accomplished photographer, writer and former literature teacher, Safdie has presented eight major photographic exhibitions in China. His work explores culture, commerce, history and human experience, revealing the complexity and humanity of a rapidly changing society.

Two Opportunities to Meet Gabriel Safdie

The Montreal and Stanstead launches offer readers the opportunity to meet the author, discover the stories behind his photographs and explore the remarkable experiences that have shaped his decades-long relationship with China. The Stanstead event also marks Safdie’s return to the historic Haskell Free Library & Opera House, where he launched Affair with China in May 2026. Situated on the Canada–United States border, the Haskell provides a fitting setting for a celebration of photography, literature and cultural exchange. Both events will introduce audiences to Faces of China alongside Affair with China, two complementary works that together present an extraordinary visual and personal record of more than four decades of Chinese history and culture.

Faces of China– upcoming book launches with slide show and Q&A

Sunday, November 22, 2–4 pm Paragraphe Bookstore, 2220 McGill College Avenue, Montreal- RSVP

Friday, November 27, 1–5 pm Haskell Free Library & Opera House, 1 Church Street, Stanstead, QC- RSVP

www.gabrielsafdie.com

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