Xiaoquan

Journey with me back to 1959, the year photographer Xiao Quan was born right here in Chengdu. Xiao Quan’s life is a fascinating blend of art and history, deeply intertwined with the evolving landscape of China. Imagine him as a young officer in the Navy, perhaps capturing the vastness of the sea, honing the skills he’d later use to portray his generation. Xiao Quan’s lens has captured iconic figures. His 1991 publication “Bird of Paradise” immortalized the journalist San Mao. He collaborated with renowned photographer Marc Riboud, traveling through China in 1993, documenting the nation’s transformation. Xiao Quan’s talents extended to the cinematic world. He worked as the film photographer for Zhang Yimou’s “Shanghai Triad” in 1994, capturing the gritty underworld of a changing Shanghai. He also lent his eye to Yang Liping’s “Sun Bird” in 1995, portraying the beauty and grace of traditional dance. Xiao Quan’s most impactful work might be “Our Generation.” This powerful series of portraits, published in 1996, documented the literary and artistic figures who shaped China from 1980 to 1990. Think of the stories these faces hold, the intellectual and creative ferment of a nation finding its voice. His work didn’t stop there. Xiao Quan continued to document China’s changing face, capturing 200 ordinary people in Beijing for “The Future We Want” in 2012. He later photographed over 2000 people in eight cities, including Kunming, Chongqing, and Hangzhou for “Portraits of Our Time” in 2015. From Chengdu to Beijing, from the Navy to the world of art and film, Xiao Quan’s life and work offer a unique perspective on China’s journey through the late 20th and early 21st centuries. His lens has captured the famous and the everyday, preserving moments in time that tell a larger story of a nation and its people. Xiao Quan, a son of Chengdu, has truly left an indelible mark on the world of photography.