In Between

4×5 large-format black-and-white photography, 2021

In Between is a photography project shot in my home city, Huzhou, China. Upon returning after a year and a half, I immediately feel a sense of disconnection. The city has transformed drastically, and the people around me have entered new chapters of their lives, with new routines. I find myself an outsider in a once-familiar environment.

I begin to wander alone through the city, visiting old haunts and newly developed areas that have emerged during my absence. Lights and shadows start to take shape in my eyes, reflecting my emotions and weaving narratives drawn from my subconscious. I migrate from the outdoors to the inside of my childhood home, where I feel strangely distant from the things that once belonged to me. At times, the surroundings inspire me to incorporate human figures—not to dominate the scene but to enrich the experience that the atmosphere offers.

As I continue this process, I realize that the impact of COVID-19 has been deeper than I anticipated. I long for human connection, yet I have grown accustomed to solitude, a trait further reinforced by quarantine. Reflecting my paradoxical mindset, my photographs evoke a sense a tranquility, solitude, and even eeriness. Meanwhile, the interactions between the elements within the frame remain lively and dynamic.