LI LANG

Li Lang has captured both the Yi people who stand between the cameras and backdrops and the backdrops themselves. Through these images, he has explored the humanity and desires that have been invoked in the process of a modern ritual – photographing. From these photographs, we discover how photography has served as a trigger for the awakening of the long-suppressed self. The dressing of the youth may be evidence of this awakening. Through photographing, the Yi have also been prodded to think about self-expression and the relevance of dignity when they are in thinking about urban life. Needless to say, the inspiration and self-recognition derived from the contact with photography would leave a subtle impact on their current lives, and extend toward other areas of their living. This is perhaps the strong yet intangible mark that photography has left in people’s minds and modern life.