Ouyang Xingkai

Hongjiang

My childhood was spent in the alleys of old towns like Xing Sha Chi and Dao Gu Cang in Changsha. When I was 7, my kind and conventional father was suddenly labeled a «Rightist.» The main income for a family of eight was cut off. So, every day before dawn I would follow my older brothers to the old warehouse by Xiang River to unload goods and pull a wooden trailer, to bring in extra income for the family. After laboring for a whole day we would only make 20 — 30 cents. When the night approached and we went home, occasionally, we would spend 2 cents for a fried green onion pancake from Granny Wang’s food stand in the old alley. We brothers shared the one green onion pancake and ran happily on the bumpy rocky roads, cheerful laughter spreading all over the old alley...

The wheel of time has rolled on, carrying my childhood away into the remote distance. Though the old streets and alleys of Changsha are now deeply buried under steel and concrete, my mind often wanders among the fragmented memories of my bumpy childhood: the slippery quartzite pavement after the rain, our shabby house filled with heavy oil smoke, and the image of our elders walking swiftly in old alleys filled with pear blossoms...

In October 2003, by chance I came to visit an old town in Xiangxi — Hong Jiang. I became friends with Shen Xianghua, a resident of the old town who was in his eighties but still maintained clear memories and sharp vision and hearing. He told me many folk stories about this old trading town, led me down the old alleys to visit the locals. As I was walking on the smooth quartzite pavement, entered a moss occupied old house, laid my eyes on the black shining furniture, or ate a piping hot green onion pancake, I felt as if I had stepped back in time to my childhood.

In the following 8 years, I traveled between City of Changsha and Hong Jiang dozens of times. I began my photography project with the architecture, and I took a series of photographs on the theme of the architecture and inhabitant environment in this old trading town; by finding and visiting craftsmen in different folk arts, I was able to record the living status of this special group of people. For 4 consecutive years, I celebrated the Spring Festival in Hong Jiang, observing and recording the local traditional festival customs. As I pushed open door after door to the old houses, I was able to photograph the quiet daily lives of over 50 long-time residents of this special place. It was through photographing Hong Jiang that I began rethinking humanity, life, and love, while simultaneously reliving many childhood memories. This is how this photo book «Hong Jiang» came into being.

1950, born in Xiangtan, Hunan province of China. November 2003, began his photographic program of «Hongjiang», an ancient city in west Hunan.

Selected Exhibitions:

September 2006, «The Four Seasons of Bashang», Epson Company, Japan;
November 2009, Lishui International Photography Festival, «Hong Jiang» was awarded «The Best Show» ;
December 2009, solo exhibition of «The catcher in Xiangxi», Lianzhou International Photo Festival;
February 2010, group Exhibition of «Unity and Diversity», Guangdong Contemporary Art Festival;
May 2010, solo exhibition of «Hongjiang», 798 Art Centre, Beijing;
May 2010, released photo album «Hongjiang» ;
June 2010, solo exhibition of «Hongjiang», National Art Museum of China, Beijing;
July 2010, solo exhibition of «Hongjiang», Hunan Provincial Museum;
September 2010, exhibition of «Hongjiang», Pingyao International Photography Festival 2010, was awarded «Excellent Photographer», the catalogue «Hongjiang» awarded «Excellent Photography Catalogue»;
Dec. 2010, showing in Lianzhou Foto 2010;
Sep. 2011, «Hong Jiang» was shown in World file Exhibition organized by Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, Hong Jiang series Collected by Mount Holyoke College Art Museum;