Feng Li Explained

Feng Li (born 1971) is a Chinese photographer, based in Chengdu.^[1] He is a street photographer and (more recently) a fashion photographer, as well as working a day job as a photographer for the Sichuan provincial department of communication.

Feng's long-term ongoing series of street photography, White Night, has been published in a book and shown in solo exhibitions at Nanjing University of the Arts Museum in Nanjing, China, Galerie Oberkampf in Paris, and at Rencontres d'Arles in Arles, France. It has won him the Best Photographer Prize at Jinan International Photo Biennale, the Grand Jury Prize at Lianzhou Photo Festival, and the Discovery Award at the Jimei x Arles International Photography Festival, all in China.

Life and work

Feng was born and raised in the city of Chengdu in Sichuan province, southwestern China.^[2] He studied traditional Chinese medicine.^{[3] [2] [4]}

He took up photography in 1996, then got a civil service job working as a photographer for the Sichuan provincial department of communication.^{[2] [4]} The job involves "photographing technological hubs, high tech factories, and CEOs".^[1]

Feng's long-term ongoing series of flash-lit colour photographs, mostly of people, is titled White Night. It comprises mostly candid street photography but also photos of people he knows.^{[4] [3]} Work made for the series in Chengdu between 2005 and 2015 was published as a book in 2017.^{[2] [5] [6]}

In 2018 he also did some fashion photography.^[7]

Publications

• 白夜 = White Night. Ningbo, China: Jiazazhi, 2017. Edition of 1000 copies. .
  • Second edition. Ningbo, China: Jiazazhi, 2018. Edition of 1000 copies. "This second edition is slightly smaller in size and features higher-quality paper as well as higher-quality printing."^[8]
• White Night in Paris. Self-published, 2018. Twenty-four 15×10 cm prints of photographs of Paris. Edition of 80 copies.
• White Night in Berlin. Self-published, 2019. Twenty-four 15×10 cm prints of photographs of Berlin. Edition of 80 copies.
• Pig. Self-published, 2020. Twenty-four 15×10 cm prints of photographs of pigs. Edition of 80 copies.
• Good Night. Ningbo, China: Jiazazhi, 2022. .

Solo exhibitions

• White Night, Nanjing University of the Arts Museum, Nanjing, China, 2016^[9]
• White Night, Galerie Oberkampf, Paris, 2017^[10]
• Rencontres d'Arles, Arles, France, 2018^[4]

Awards

• 2012: Best Photographer Prize, Jinan International Photo Biennale, Jinan, China^[2]
• 2012: Grand Jury Prize, Lianzhou Photo Festival, Lianzhou, China^[2]
• 2017: Jimei x Arles Discovery Award, Jimei x Arles International Photography Festival, Jimei district, Xiamen, China^{[4] [11] [12]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Leo de. Boisgisson. 2019-02-05. Feng Li: White Nights & The Grayness of Skies. 28 March 2017. American Suburb X.
2. Web site: 2019-02-02. Feng Li's feted first book White Night. 7 November 2017. British Journal of Photography.
3. Web site: 2019-02-02. Feng Li "combs the streets" of Singapore in his latest obscure series. 31 January 2019. It's Nice That.
4. Web site: Sarah. Moroz. Hannah. Ongley. 2019-02-02. feng li captures the dark absurdity of chinese street life. 9 July 2018. i-D.
5. News: Daphné. Anglès. 2019-02-02. At Arles Festival, 7 Promising Photographers to Watch. The New York Times. 19 July 2018. 0362-4331. NYTimes.com.
6. Web site: 2019-02-02. Chinese photographer, Feng Li's series White Night is a flip book of strange scenarios. 8 February 2018. It's Nice That.
7. Web site: 2019-02-02. Issue #7879: Cool + Noteworthy. 5 December 2018. British Journal of Photography.
8. Web site: White Night 2nd edition - Feng Li. Shashasha.
9. Web site: 2019-02-03. AMNUA. Nanjing University of the Arts Museum.
10. News: 2019-02-03. Photo / "White Night", ombres chinoises. 13 October 2017. Libération.
11. Web site: 2019-02-02. Feng Li - White Night. Jimei x Arles International Photography Festival.
12. Web site: 2019-02-02. Les Rencontres d'Arles photo festival heads to Jimei in Xiamen. China Daily.