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In close one-on-one shots, where there is no possible escape either for the subject being photographed or for the spectator, Tshi forces his own eye upon us, reflected in the intensity of the eyes looking into his lens. This young jazz-loving Quebec-based photographer has a real talent for getting his subjects involved in the visual dialogue which seems to have got underway, in the same way you enter into a duel, when the shot is taken. Returning to the magical dimension of the photographic portrait which Roland Barthes found so fascinating, looking beyond the fame of the subject, Tshi scans faces looking for the truth about a personality hiding behind tired or amused features.
Taken out of context, freed of any anecdotal element, these portraits immerse us in every gaze and carry us away in turn into an individual dialogue with each of these great names in jazz who appear to be listening to us and putting their trust in us with disturbing sincerity. The photographer appears to have stepped back so as not to interfere in this relationship and yet the intensity of these photographs comes from the integrity of his own commitment.