View some of the greatest photography of modern-day China and hear
Xiao Quan, China’s top portrait photographer, share insights on 40
years of dramatic social change—from the thrilling experimentation
of the 1980s to the commercial obsessions of today. Xiao rose to
prominence in the late 1980s, capturing China’s emerging writers,
directors, and artists in their early days, including such super stars
as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Jiang Wen, Tan Dun, and Bei Dao. His new
book, In China When It All Began, offers new perspective on China’s
cultural evolution and contemporary society. Born in Chengdu, Sichuan
Province, Xiao Quan is considered by many to be the best portrait
photographer in China. His photographs capture the intellectual and
artistic experimentation of 1980s China, when China first opened to
the outside world. Xiao began recording the youthful faces of a
generation of intellectuals who emerged as super stars in the ’80s,
’90s and today. Xiao’s fame stems from the large-scale photo album
“Our Generation,” published in 1996, which contains many famous
figures from the literature and fine art circles of the ’80s and
’90s, including Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Jiang Wen, He Xuntian, Tan
Dun, Beidao, Wang Anyi and Shi Tiesheng. Xiao’s precise grasp of
character and close contact with this generation have made his album a
project with social and historical significance. With warmth and
persistence, Xiao witnessed the survival of this generation, reflected
its pain and joy, hesitation and persistence, and above all, projected
his eternal care for life.
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23/01/2020 Last update