In China: On a Condition of Presence

In China is a long-term body of work through which I attempt to remain with the spiritual condition of Chinese people as it unfolds over time. The photographs do not focus on events, conflicts, or decisive moments. They stay with ordinary situations, where life continues quietly within established structures.

What I am drawn to are moments of subtle suspension—when individuals are fully present in their physical surroundings, yet appear slightly withdrawn inwardly. These moments are not dramatic. They are lived, repeated, and normalized. Personal presence is neither erased nor asserted; it is compressed, adjusted, and carried on.

The images do not describe China as a place, but as a psychological landscape shaped by history, order, and accumulated time. Tradition and modernity, control and adaptation, individuality and collectivity coexist without resolution. Time in these photographs does not move forward. It layers.

This work is not an attempt to explain Chinese society or to speak on behalf of others. It is a record of encounters—traces left by attention, patience, and prolonged presence. What remains in the images is a quiet state of hesitation, one that persists without conclusion.

Project period: 2000–2025
Exhibition: none
Publication: none