Chinese women photographers given a stage for their work at Shanghai art space in the residence of US consul general
- Space 33, a recently opened art space, is showing work by four women photographers – Shen Jie, Zhou Yang, Zhang Xi and Ding Xinyun
- Ding focuses on grand urban vistas and Shen old buildings that are disappearing, while Zhou portrays old people and Zhang children confined to apartments
A certain ambivalence often surrounds shows of female artists’ work in China. Exhibitions are overwhelmingly male by default, but women often resist the tokenism and pigeonholing that may result when they are grouped together by gender.
Add to that the fact that women’s rights remains a sensitive topic and overt protests are discouraged by the authorities.
Still, women-only exhibitions can be opportunities for emerging artists to gain public exposure. That is doubly true in photography, especially with documentary photography or reportage. Influential photography associations are so overwhelmingly dominated by older men that the term sheying shushu (photo uncles) is used for the archetypal person behind the lens.
That is why “Through Her Eyes: Stories of the City by Four Female Photographers” is unusual. It does not make loud declarations – it is housed inside the home of the American consul general in Shanghai, James Heller, and access is by invitation only.
The photographs by Shen Jie, Zhou Yang, Zhang Xi and Ding Xinyun can also be viewed on the consulate’s account on Weibo – China’s Twitter – affording the general public a welcome opportunity to get to know their work.
