Homeland ·Shanshui

Homeland · Shanshui

Revisiting Eastern Sensibilities through Contemporary Photography

The cultural and spiritual traditions of the East unfold with quiet continuity. Within this enduring thread, shanshui—mountains and waters—has long served as an silent and expansive narrative; homeland, by contrast, speaks to a more intimate and tender attachment.

For the Eastern mind, shanshui and homeland are more than geographic concepts. They reflect fluid modes of relationship. A coil of cooking smoke may suggest return; a moment of moonlight may evoke one's place of origin. This openness arises from a distinct way of seeing—where the outer world reflects the inner, and the inner gives shape to the outer. In this view, the sense of home grows like breath or spirit: it may reside in a single leaf's shade, or diffuse across rivers and mountains. Homeland thus becomes a dynamic, breathing field, where physical environment and inner imagery intertwine to form deep emotional connections.

Yet this quiet, self-contained imagination of home now faces a profound challenge in the contemporary world. Rapid social change pulls our attention toward the immediate. As a result, cultural and spiritual belonging becomes loosened, even suspended. Increasingly, the home we seek no longer corresponds to a clear location—or even a clear point of return.

The works in this exhibition explore such states of suspension. Operating between emotion and landscape, appearance and reality, tradition and algorithmic imaging, the artists search for traces of homeland. Rather than representing a fixed place, they use the visual language of photography to ask how belonging might be reconstructed within a fragmented present.

From the Tianshan mountains to the East China Sea, across generations and regions, the artists gather brief moments of inner stillness. Personal understandings of "home" converge into a shared cultural imagination—a vision of a collective homeland.

This exhibition extends this inquiry to consider how such sensibilities evolve within contemporary photography. In an era shaped by globalization and digitization, how do we define home? As boundaries dissolve and mobility becomes the norm, the desire for a sense of belonging beyond physical geography grows stronger. These images—hovering between reality and imagination—may offer new ways to deconstruct and rearticulate shanshui as a cultural signifier. Whether in fragmented landscapes, in spaces erased by time, or in scenes located only in consciousness, the artists search within these "emptinesses." Do traces of chi and ling—breath and spirit—still persist? Or perhaps, subtler forms of sentiment and reflection? Their inquiry extends beyond literal landscapes or domestic scenes; instead, shanshui and homeland become critical methods through which to examine the nature of individual existence within an Eastern worldview.

What is shanshui? What is home? The world is vast—where do we find repose?

Text / Minfeng Shi
ARTIST & CURATOR: Minfeng Shi

Photographic artist, Professor Shi Minfeng is a graduate advisor and director of the Art Museum of Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication.

He is also a council member of the Education Committee of the China Photographers Association, photography supervisor of the China Association of Higher Education; a vice council director of the Information & Interaction Design Committee of the China Industrial Design Association; Member of China Photographers Association and Beijing Artists Association; a member of the Society for Photographic Education (USA); Communication and meeting evaluation expert of Art Projects in the National Social Science Fund of China; Judge of the National Photographic Art Exhibition.

He has directed the 2017 and 2025 talent cultivation programs supported by the China National Arts Fund, “Research of the Chinese modern image and conceptualization” supported by the National Social Science Fund of China, as well as the National Social Science Fund Post-Funded Project.

Professor Shi has held several solo exhibitions, and his publications include Home: Water and Mountain, The Mirrored Horizon, Classical Photography Craftsmanship, and Colour of Design. His works are collected by professional institutions and individuals.
ARTIST: Xuqi Dong

Xuqi Dong is currently a Master's candidate in Photography Art Research at Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, specializing in image art creation and classical photographic process studies. Her works have been selected for exhibitions such as "Inheritance and Innovation" 2025 Handcrafted Photography Exhibition, "Backbone" — 2024 Yangtze River Youth Visual Arts Exhibition, and the 22nd and 23rd Xinjiang Photographic Art Exhibitions. Her works have also been displayed at the Lishui Photography Festival, Pingyao International Photography Exhibition, Xinjiang Art Museum, among others.
ARTIST: Ruoyu Li

Ruoyu Li is a member of Henan Photographers Association and Henan Aerial Photographers Association.

She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Photography from Anyang Normal University and a Master's degree in Photography from Henan University. Currently, she works in the Digital Media Art program at Xinyang University.

She has participated in the National Art Fund's exchange and communication project Taihang Monument - Red Flag Canal Spirit Image Exhibition, the National Art Fund's talent training project Training of Photography Art Creation Talents in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, and the China Photographers Association's Wu Yinxian Education Funding Project Rural Revitalization Landscape in Contemporary Photography Education. Participated in the compilation of the book For Sacrificing More Ambitions and was selected for the 2024 National Publishing Fund project. The paper Comparative Study of Digital Photography Technology and Traditional Photography was published in the national-level journal Tourism and Photography.

The photography work Peek won the first prize at the 17th New Talent and New Photography Exhibition in Henan Province; Everywhere won the first prize in the 2023 Henan Province University Photography Exhibition; The video work A Lifetime of Disability with No Regrets was selected for the highest award at the Walking Henan, Understanding China art exhibition in Henan Province; Revisiting the Red Flag Canal won the second prize at the 'Beautiful Central Plains in My Eyes' Excellent Works Exhibition in Henan Province; Pinhole Photography - Fake Landscape and Imprint of the Times won the selection award at the 9th Shanghai Youth Art Expo Photography Exhibition; The Women's Drinking Manual won the selection award at the 24th Pingyao International Photography Exhibition; Collection of Intangible Cultural Heritage won the third prize in the Central China Portrait Photography Competition and the College Student Portrait Photography Exhibition; Imprint of the Times won the third prize at the" Remembering the Spirit of Instruction Forever "National Photography Exhibition.
ARTIST: Tianyi Li

Tianyi Li, a native of Tai'an, Shandong Province, is a member of the Kunming Photographers Association, the Tai'an Photographers Association, and the Yunnan Photographers Association. He studied photography at the Qingdao Film Academy for his undergraduate degree and is currently a graduate student in video art at the Yunnan Arts Institute. In 2024, he participated in the Xianfeng Town Rural Video Survey Project, sponsored by the Youth Photography Committee and Education Committee of the Yunnan Photographers Association and hosted by the Xundian County Art Museum. In the same year, he participated in the Yunnan Provincial Department of Education's scientific research project, "A Study of the Modern History of Photography in Yunnan: 1896-1949." In 2025, he was accepted as a participant in the National Art Fund's "Training Program for Photographic Art Creators in the Age of Artificial Intelligence."His work Beyond the Boundary won the Bronze Award at the 11th Chongqing Photography Art Exhibition; Between Near and Far was selected for the 6th National Youth Photography Exhibition; and What Shapes Us was selected for the 13th Academy Photography Award, "Synergy and Extension."
ARTIST: Yazhen Li

Yazhen Li, a native of Quanzhou, Fujian, holds a Master 's degree in Photography from Beijing Film Academy and an MBA from Fuzhou University. She is a member of the China Photographers Association, a contributing photographer for Chinese National Geography Di Dao Feng Wu, and a signed photographer for Visual China Group. Her work explores time and memory through the lens of personal experience.

Her photographic series Ferry of Time has been exhibited at the 5th Jingxing “Xu Xiaobing Cup” Chinese University Photography Biennale in Zhejiang, the Women Photographers Exhibition of the PIP Pingyao International Photography Festival, and the “One Great River” Xishuangbanna International Photography Festival in 2024, as well as the 6th National Youth Photography Exhibition in Shandong in 2025. In the same year, her series River of Time was shown at the “Inheritance & Innovation” Handicraft Art Exhibition in Lishui, while her work Stage was presented at the GSPA International Photography Awards Retrospective Exhibition at Christie’s in London.
ARTIST: Zesheng Li

Zesheng Li is the teacher of Sichuan University of Media and Communications.

Li received a bachelor's degree from Xi'an University of Technology and a master's degree from the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna, Italy. Li was selected to participate in the "Training Program for Photographic Art Creators in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" of the National Art Fund of Beijing Institute of Printing, and his work The form of all things in the world was selected for ART CITY Bologna, Pingyao Photography Festival, Asian Contemporary College Student Photography Tour, Shaanxi University Student Photography Exhibition Excellence Award, Bologna BIANCA NOTTE White Night Art Exhibition Photography Unit, and China International Photography Art Festival; organized and curated the Pingyao International Photography Festival "Drifting Away" Bologna Academy of Fine Arts three-person exhibition; Solo exhibition at BLUE Gallery, Italy. Li's work was also selected for the 15th Northeast Three Provinces Photography Art Exhibition.
ARTIST: Yuyang Liu

Yuyang Liu (b.1991) is a photographer based in Chengdu, China. Grounded in long-term documentary practice, he creates a subtle tension between authentic world and artistic expression. His work explores the relationship between people and the environment they live in, employing a composed gaze and a sense of aesthetic refinement as pathways toward metaphor in images. He has been nominated for the Prix Pictet (2025) and the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (2021), and has been selected for the National Arts Fund Talent Training Program (2025) as well as the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Youth Creative Support Program (2018).
ARTIST: Nan Ma

Lecturer, Ph.D., Director of the Aesthetic Education Center at Guangdong University of Finance.

Member of the Guangdong Film Association.

Member of the Guangdong Youth Artists Association.

She has presided over several key research projects, including the Joint Research Project of the "14th Five-Year Plan" for the Development of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Guangzhou, the "Overseas Distinguished Teachers" Project of the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, as well as projects from the Research Platforms and Projects of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province and the Guangdong Provincial Education Science Planning. She has won numerous awards in major competitions in the field of art and design creation.

2021 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area University Art and Design Exhibition & 6th Guangdong University Design Works Academy Award Biennale, Jiangmen Art Museum, Jiangmen, China

2014 "Hypersensitivity" Youth Art Exhibition, Huigu Art Space, Guangzhou, China

2014 Graduation Exhibition of South China Normal University, Guangdong Library, Guangzhou, China

2010 Graduation Exhibition of South China Normal University, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China

2010 10-Year Achievement Exhibition of New Media Art, Normal University Art Museum, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China

2008 1st Huamei Student Video Exhibition, Normal University Art Museum, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China

2008 "Tempting Xinjiang" Photography Exhibition, Normal University Art Museum, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
ARTIST: Wang Wang

Wang Wang, born in 1987, is a rising young photographic artist in China. He is a member of the China Photographers Association and a National First-Grade Photographer. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Youth Committee of the Henan Photographers Association, a member of the Council of the Henan Provincial Political Consultative Conference Calligraphy and Painting Institute, a director of the Henan Art Photography Society, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the College Photography Branch of the Henan Photographers Association.

His works have won numerous awards in national and provincial exhibitions, including the National Photographic Art Exhibition, the "Boqi Cup" National Creative Photography Exhibition, the Henan Photography "Jinlu Award," and the Henan Provincial Photographic Art Exhibition. He has led multiple provincial-level scientific research projects and educational reform initiatives. Wang has also held numerous solo art exhibitions both domestically and internationally. He has published works such as The Third Eye, Adobe Photoshop Tutorial (Chinese Version), and Fundamentals of Photography Tutorial. His works have been collected by domestic art museums and professional institutions.
ARTIST: Ziyi Xiong

Ziyi Xiong, independent photographer and visual artist, holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, with research interests in photographic art creation and research.

Works have been selected for exhibitions including the 2025 Incheon World University Photography Festival, 2024 Pingyao International Photography Festival, the 15th photographic Art Exhibition of the Three Provinces in Northeast China, and the 2nd National Reading Congress "Book Fragrance Across China" Public Service Advertising Exhibition.
ARTIST: Yue Zhang

Yue Zhang was born in 1983 in Dongping, Tai'an. After graduating from teacher's college, he returned to his hometown and worked as an elementary school art teacher. He is a photography and documentary enthusiast, with a long-term focus on spatial reconstruction and individual lived experiences under the interplay of history, culture, and modernity. He won the first prize in the social category at the 13th China Documentary International Selection in 2018. In 2020, his photograph Guess How Much I Love You was acquired by the Tsinghua University Art Museum. In 2021, his two-part documentary on the relocation of the Yellow River floodplain, The Yellow River Flows from Heaven, aired on CCTV Documentary Channel. In 2021, his photo series Leaving the Beach won the Gold Award at the 14th Shandong Photography Art Exhibition, along with his series 100.37 and Poverty Alleviation Workshop, which were also selected. In 2022, his series The Great Wilderness was selected for the River Scroll section of the 5th Ningbo International Photography Week. In 2023, he was selected for the 13th Homecoming Project and completed his handmade photography book Do You Still Remember? In 2019 and 2025, he was selected for the National Art Fund Photography Training Program.
ARTIST: Wei Zhao

Wei Zhao, a native of Kaifeng, Henan Province, is a college teacher. Member of the China Photographers' Copyright Society, Member of the Henan Photographers' Association, Member of the Henan Art Photography Society, and Secretary-General of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Kaifeng Photographers' Association. Zhao Wei's creations mainly include still images and installations, etc. His main research directions are intimate relationships and contemporary photography, with a focus on issues such as social life.

He has won awards such as the 130th Anniversary Photography Competition of Lang Jingshan, the 12th College Photography Award, the First Youth Photography Exhibition of Henan Province, the Henan Province New Talent and New Work Exhibition, the Photography Exhibition marking the 75th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Russia, the Pingyao International Photography Exhibition, the Ningbo International Photography Week, and the Excellence Award of the Lishui International Photography Festival. The works have been exhibited in museums such as the China Millennium Monument, the Ningbo Art Center of the China Photographers Association, the Henan Art Museum, the Henan Cultural Center, the Zhengzhou Art Museum, the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts Art Museum, the Wuhan Image Art Center, and the Tree Hole Art Museum. He has also participated in the National Art Fund's "Training for Talents in Image Dissemination of Chinese Art" and "Training for Talents in Photography Art Creation in the Era of Artificial Intelligence".
ARTIST: Chao Zheng

Chao Zheng, born in Zigui, Hubei Province, and currently based in Quanzhou, serves as a faculty member at the Academy of Fine Arts, Huaqiao University. He was selected for the National Art Fund's Young Artists Training Program. His works primarily spans photography, oil painting, and documentary filmmaking.

His works have been exhibited at numerous prestigious events, including the Luo Zhongli Scholarship Exhibition, Beijing International Photo Biennale, Ningbo International Photography Week, Dali International Photo Festival, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Lishui Photography Festival, PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai, and Art Xiamen, among others. His pieces are held in the collection of the Art Museum of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and other institutions.
Minfeng Shi, Bright Sun Chaya Mountain (Long), 2023. Giclée print on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
Xuqi Dong, Echo of the Wasteland, 2025. Hybrid cyanotype, 60 × 60 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
Wei Zhao, Crossing This Mountain, 2024. Black-and-white photograph. Courtesy of the artist.
Ruoyu Li, Passing False Scenery, 2024. Pinhole photograph, 106 × 60 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
Yue Zhang, Wending Power, the Wen River, 2020. Gelatin silver print and Giclée print, 100 × 80 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
Yuyang Liu, Swarming, Decking, and Celebrating series, 2025. Giclée print, 200 × 150 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

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Homeland · Shanshui

Revisiting Eastern Sensibilities through Contemporary Photography

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