Chinese Photography: Twentieth Century and Beyond

Rongrong, formerly known as Lu Zhirong, was born in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province in 1968. He came to Beijing to study photography in 1992 and later settled in East Village, where he recorded some important works and moments in the development of Chinese contemporary art. Rong Rong later met Japanese female photographer Inri - they married and have been working together since then. In 2007, Rongrong and Inri founded the Three Shadows Photography Art Center, China's first independent organization specializing in contemporary art photography. Three Shadows has become the country's premiere platform for the presentation, promotion, discovery and international exchange of photography through its exhibitions, lectures, educational program and artists in residence program.

Photography is generally accepted as an invention dating back to 1839, and within five years, the medium had already been introduced into China. The development of Chinese photography has a long and varied history and this book examines it chronologically over the course of three chapters: "Photography during the Republic of China and War Photography", "Photography after the Founding of the People's Republic of China", and "Chinese Contemporary Photography". From the unique body of work seen in Chinese pictorial photography to the country's war photography, and from revolutionary photography for the workers and soldiers to the diverse exploration of photography since 1976 and the experiments of the 1990s, the works included in this book present the essence of Chinese photography as never before, revealing the rich and varied creations of Chinese photographers and the evolution of their understanding of the medium.

With valuable contributions from ten leading scholars, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn about the great diversity and absorbing history of Chinese photography.

A new and in-depth look at Chinese photography by China's top curators and thinkers

1. Photography during the Republic of China and war photography - 2. Photography after the founding of the People's Republic of China - 3. Chinese Photography since 1976 and Chinese Contemporary Photography