Zhang Kechun
Between the Mountains and Water

category: TOPOGRAPHY
file under: #mountains #territory mutations #relics #China #the climate changes #the mutants identities

Mountains and rivers are always the heaviest carriers of Chinese people’s affection. The continental cultural awareness of making a sightseeing tour, the inherent cultivation consciousness of “mountains being virtuous, rivers being moral”, and the sense of visual illusion of a short distance away are always the main line of interpreting Mountains and waters. My occupation gives me chances of making sightseeing tours, and makes me capable of re-examining the present Mountains and waters. China is undergoing high-speed changes and immerses itself in the excitement of prosperity. The trend of strong destructive power which cannot be halted is following. Under this circumstance, I seem to be very insignificant as an ordinary people. In the course of my traveling over land and water over the years, I am looking for those people who are still in company with mountains and waters. When taking photos, I exchange with my subjects. I join them, and it is up to the person being exchanged and me to press the shutter. I believe that I cannot feel stronger or more complicated when I am lost in it. Even for a transient moment, I feel so delighted to encounter classical and precious relics on the way. What come next are great anxieties that they are likely to disappear tomorrow.

BIO
Born in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China, in 1980, Zhang Kechun studied art and design before to become a photographer and artist.  His first work is “The Yellow River”, published and exhibited worldwide. Over a two-year period, Zhang took images of life along the river that has been plagued with flooding, pollution, and destruction caused by China’s push to modernise. Works from this series have been acquired by public and private collections in China, Usa, Australia and Europe. “Seascapes” – Zhang’s second work – marks him as one the most interesting artist, not only photographer, currently in China. The series is an homage to the master of photography Hiroshi Sugimoto and it has been realised without any camera taking images of imaginary seascapes. Currently Zhang Kechun is working on his latest work, “Behind Mountains and Waters”, focused on incredible Chinese landscapes and an original way to make self-portraits. Despite of his artist career, Zhang Kechun works for several editorial and advertising clients who require a special and unique vision to the images and to the storytelling.  Zhang Kechun lives and works in Chengdu (Sichuan), China.

www.zhangkechun.com