Lee Zhengde The New Chinese

The New Chinese, a photo collection by Chinese photographer Li Zhengde, is a documentary work capturing Chinese society at a time of rapid urbanization and economic growth through photographs taken over a ten-year period. Li moved to Shenzhen in 2005, and from 2006 to 2016, he continued to point his camera at the city's frequent "celebratory" events, including opening ceremonies for luxury apartment buildings, parties at five-star hotels, fashion brand presentations, cultural expos, tourist spots, and birthday parties.

In Chinese cities, where living spaces tend to be divided by social status and income, these events are rare occasions where people of different social classes can temporarily share the same space and time. Li brings to light the ever-changing image of "Chinese people" through the expressions and behavior of the people who appear in these spaces. Their lively expressions change depending on the situation, and there is a dense intersection between individual desires and the atmosphere of the times.

The period of filming coincided with the start of China's real estate bubble, and the scenes are reminiscent of Japan's bubble period in the late 1980s. This book is a calm and sharp record of people living in the midst of rapid change.

[Title] The New Chinese
[Publisher] STAIRS PRESS
[Publication date] May 2019 (first edition) Limited to 600 copies
[Number of pages] 136 pages
[Size] Approx. 285*215*16mm
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] Japanese, English, Chinese
[Title reading] Shinkokujin The New Chinese
[Authors/Editors] Written by Lee Jeong-deok, Edited by En, Designed by Ino Koichi
[printing]
[ISBN] 9784908851056
[Condition] Used [3] Below average (some damage to corners, repaired)
[Accessories] None
[Featured books]
[Related Exhibitions]

Li Zhengde

Born in the 1970s in Anhua, Hunan Province, China.
Founder of the art space "Shokoen," his work focuses on photography, but also encompasses conceptual art, performance art, and painting.
His works have been exhibited at Minsheng Museum of Contemporary Art (Shanghai, China), Guangdong Museum of Art (Guangzhou, China), Shenzhen Art Museum (Shenzhen, China), Guan Shanyue Art Museum (Shenzhen, China), Folkwang Museum (Essen, Germany), Brandts
His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Art and Visual Culture (Odense, Denmark), the Soléric Cultural Center (Palma, Mallorca, Spain), PhotoL.A (Los Angeles, USA), and Saddleback College (Los Angeles, USA).

2013 China Dengke Documentary Photography Award
2016 Lianzhou International Photography Festival "Punctum" Award (nominated)
2017 Dali International Photography Conference: DIPE International Photographic Union President's Award
2020: Work "Layer" selected as one of the Top 10 Chinese Photography of the Year
2021 Shenzhen Aohu Art Village Artist of the Year Award Winner

< Related Figures >