Chen Man’s solo exhibition “Dragon Rain Field” is being held at Shanghai Fosun Art Center.
As one of the most high-profile artists in the field of international visual arts, Chen Man is one of the very few Chinese photographers who can be included in the collections of top international art museums. Her works have been included in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. . On February 21st, Chen Man appeared at Fosun Art Center to tell the story behind her solo exhibition works.
"An Acre of Clouds" makes people immersed in "one's childhood"
This exhibition presents the theme of "Dragon and Lion" in the form of a large-scale installation. It is hoped that the public can share the universal beauty of Eastern history and aesthetics at close range and learn about Chen Man In addition to classic photography, he has not yet understood the creative abilities of painting and installation art, as well as the connection between various artistic methods.
The installation work "Paradise"
A "memory ice brick" appears repeatedly in the solo exhibition. The first work in the solo exhibition is the installation work "Paradise" created with ice, stone and metal. The stacked "memory ice bricks" have symbolic meaning, like hidden memories of life. The small stones in the ice bricks are also like the small part of the human brain that is used.
The installation work "One Acre of Clouds"
Another installation work "One Acre of Clouds" is embedded in a square acre of wheat field, with a children's bed embedded in it, floating clouds above, a soft bed and the surrounding wheat fields. , allowing people to relax and immerse themselves in this closed space, returning to the state of childhood. The piece resembles a therapy room.
How did the idea of "Wang Hedi taking a nap in the tea field" come about?
As a photographer, the most eye-catching Chen Man is the cover stars of various magazines she shoots. Behind every cover star, there is a story to share.
Before shooting the young star Wang Hedi, the editor provided many shooting locations. Finally, Chen Man chose a tea field. The place was far away and he had to drive up the mountain.
Chen Man said that he has a complex about tea. Her grandmother was the first to open a canteen selling large bowls of tea in an alley in Dashilan, Beijing. In her memory, the fragrant jasmine tea was brewed in a large blue-rimmed porcelain bowl with a glass cover on top. The porters (tricycle pedalers) in Beijing were thirsty and came over to drink a bowl of sweat, which was particularly thirst-quenching.
Wang Hedi taking a siesta in the tea fields
On the way to the tea fields, the driver was a female driver. She was a single mother. In order to support her children, she had to drive late at night to earn extra money - the charge was a quarter higher than during the day, but the work intensity was high. . During the official filming, Chen Man thought that the female driver might need a nap after driving back, so she had an idea and asked the omnipotent producer to find a pillow and take a temporary photo of Wang Hedi sleeping in a tea field. The result was a whole scene. The most popular photo in the group.
Wang Yibo is carrying the broken skateboard, Zhang Ziyi is standing on the faucet
Wang Yibo
Wang Yibo’s portrait was taken for Chanel. Chen Man once saw Wang Yibo skateboarding during work breaks, so she thought of a friend of hers who suffered from depression. Depression means living in fear of the future and worries about the past. In order to prevent falling, skateboarders If you must always focus on the present, you will forget the past, so skateboarding has become a healing sport. So Chen Man created this portrait of Wang Yibo carrying two skateboards.
Victoria Beckham
When Victoria Beckham was photographed, this hot girl had just given birth to her daughter. Foreigners do not confine themselves. Soon after she gave birth, she put the baby in a basket, carrying the basket and wearing 15cm high heels, flew from London to New York to shoot. Chen Man said that the hot girl's special feeling of power makes it suitable to add a Chinese dragon headdress to her.
Zhang Ziyi
When filming Zhang Ziyi, Chen Man asked Zhang Ziyi in red to stand on the head of a silver dragon.
Chen Man’s solo exhibition “Dragon Rain Field” is being held at Shanghai Fosun Art Center.
As one of the most high-profile artists in the field of international visual arts, Chen Man is one of the very few Chinese photographers who can be included in the collections of top international art museums. Her works have been included in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. . On February 21st, Chen Man appeared at Fosun Art Center to tell the story behind her solo exhibition works.
"An Acre of Clouds" makes people immersed in "one's childhood"
This exhibition presents the theme of "Dragon and Lion" in the form of a large-scale installation. It is hoped that the public can share the universal beauty of Eastern history and aesthetics at close range and learn about Chen Man In addition to classic photography, he has not yet understood the creative abilities of painting and installation art, as well as the connection between various artistic methods.
The installation work "Paradise"
A "memory ice brick" appears repeatedly in the solo exhibition. The first work in the solo exhibition is the installation work "Paradise" created with ice, stone and metal. The stacked "memory ice bricks" have symbolic meaning, like hidden memories of life. The small stones in the ice bricks are also like the small part of the human brain that is used.
The installation work "One Acre of Clouds"
Another installation work "One Acre of Clouds" is embedded in a square acre of wheat field, with a children's bed embedded in it, floating clouds above, a soft bed and the surrounding wheat fields. , allowing people to relax and immerse themselves in this closed space, returning to the state of childhood. The piece resembles a therapy room.
How did the idea of "Wang Hedi taking a nap in the tea field" come about?
As a photographer, the most eye-catching Chen Man is the cover stars of various magazines she shoots. Behind every cover star, there is a story to share.
Before shooting the young star Wang Hedi, the editor provided many shooting locations. Finally, Chen Man chose a tea field. The place was far away and he had to drive up the mountain.
Chen Man said that he has a complex about tea. Her grandmother was the first to open a canteen selling large bowls of tea in an alley in Dashilan, Beijing. In her memory, the fragrant jasmine tea was brewed in a large blue-rimmed porcelain bowl with a glass cover on top. The porters (tricycle pedalers) in Beijing were thirsty and came over to drink a bowl of sweat, which was particularly thirst-quenching.
Wang Hedi taking a siesta in the tea fields
On the way to the tea fields, the driver was a female driver. She was a single mother. In order to support her children, she had to drive late at night to earn extra money - the charge was a quarter higher than during the day, but the work intensity was high. . During the official filming, Chen Man thought that the female driver might need a nap after driving back, so she had an idea and asked the omnipotent producer to find a pillow and take a temporary photo of Wang Hedi sleeping in a tea field. The result was a whole scene. The most popular photo in the group.
Wang Yibo is carrying the broken skateboard, Zhang Ziyi is standing on the faucet
Wang Yibo
Wang Yibo’s portrait was taken for Chanel. Chen Man once saw Wang Yibo skateboarding during work breaks, so she thought of a friend of hers who suffered from depression. Depression means living in fear of the future and worries about the past. In order to prevent falling, skateboarders If you must always focus on the present, you will forget the past, so skateboarding has become a healing sport. So Chen Man created this portrait of Wang Yibo carrying two skateboards.
Victoria Beckham
When Victoria Beckham was photographed, this hot girl had just given birth to her daughter. Foreigners do not confine themselves. Soon after she gave birth, she put the baby in a basket, carrying the basket and wearing 15cm high heels, flew from London to New York to shoot. Chen Man said that the hot girl's special feeling of power makes it suitable to add a Chinese dragon headdress to her.
Zhang Ziyi
When filming Zhang Ziyi, Chen Man asked Zhang Ziyi in red to stand on the head of a silver dragon.Chen Man said that the Forbidden City did not have a fire protection system before, and large tanks filled with water were used to extinguish fires. When she was a child, she was taken to see a goldfish exhibition in a large tank. The most famous goldfish among them was called "Hong Luck Head", so this idea was derived. Photo ideas.
The Black "Lion King" and the Forbidden City Stone Lions Fighting Balls
Due to his reputation, Chen Man has now become a part of Beijing tourism.
Once, American basketball star LeBron James came to Beijing, visited the Great Wall, and ate roast duck. The third item was to take photos of Chen Man. One day in advance, a bus drove up and 20 black bodyguards got off and rolled on the floor of Chen Man's studio for a day. They wanted to ensure that the big star would not slip when filming the next day. The famous
star is nicknamed "The Lion King". Chen Man thought of the stone lion at the entrance of the Forbidden City and took a photo of the "Lion King" James smiling. After adding post-production, it formed a picture of two "lions" smiling and playing ball. picture.
"The Lion King" James
Music industry superstar Rihanna asked Chen Man to shoot. This is the second time the two have collaborated. During the phone call beforehand, Chen Man asked Rihanna to dress in a way that showed off her figure. Rihanna said that she has gained weight in the past two years. Chen Man studied Chinese painting in school. She thought of the scene of a lady playing with a poodle in the famous painting "Lady with Hairpins", so she made such a set of clothes for Rihanna.
Rihanna
Star’s “memory ice brick”, what thoughts do you share?
Chen Man said that when shooting, what I pursue is not style, but accuracy. As a portrait photographer, I find that at the moment of imaging, what is more important is the story and experience behind the person. The best photography can show things that are invisible to the naked eye, such as light, mood, relationships, eyes, atmosphere, etc.
Chen Man's photographic work "Memory Ice Bricks"
The most telling story in the solo exhibition is undoubtedly a group of portraits of "Memory Ice Bricks". Under each portrait there is a recording of the star's narration. On the wall opposite the portrait is a "memory ice brick" shot by Chen Man based on the colors chosen by the stars.
Chen Man said that memory is like an ice brick, it will melt, disappear, be swallowed up by AI, and be tampered with, so this kind of sharing is very valuable.
Shu Qi
Actor Shu Qi shared her psychological fear of not being able to take a dark elevator. She revealed that she had been afraid of being beaten since she could remember and hid in small cabinets. When she grew up, she was afraid of riding in dark elevators.
Emi Wada (left)
Emi Wada won the Oscar for Best Costume. When she went to shoot, she was already in her 80s. There is a lot of black cloth hanging in her studio, and she relies on touch to distinguish the different textures of the cloth. Chen Man particularly noticed Wada Emi's hands. Out of female sensitivity, Chen Man asked Wada Emi if she smoked? Unexpectedly, Wada Emi immediately ran to a corner of the room like a child, took out a box of cigarettes, and took one out, looking very relaxed and enjoying herself. In the end, the cigarette was collected by the staff. Wada Emi said that she had just finished the operation and the doctor did not allow her to smoke. She especially liked smoking, so she secretly hid the cigarette.
Stan Lee
When filming Stan Lee, the "Father of Marvel", Chen Man discovered that he lived in the shabbiest building in Hollywood and took the shabbiest elevator. The office is small, and there are many photos of celebrities hanging on the wall, but the most important ones are the photos of him and his wife, which record the beautiful moments of their lives.
At that time, it was the busiest stage of Chen Man’s work. Sometimes she had to fly to three countries a day and shoot four covers. Chen Man, who was very conflicted about how to balance life and career, can be seen from the photos on the wall of Stan Lee’s office. Was very touched.
Why is the last work a trolley case?
The last work in Chen Man’s solo exhibition is a trolley case covered with labels. Chen Man said that over the years, countless people have labeled my photography art, and this trolley case symbolizes the process of my photography career.
Chen Man's photography started from Chen Yifei, and it also started from a failure.At that time, Chen Yifei was working on a magazine "Youth Vision", and Chen Man was still in his junior year. During the shooting, she borrowed a camera from a Hong Kong classmate and used film to shoot. However, the film could not be developed after the shooting, so she had to retake the photo.
In the photos taken at that time, Chen Man used all her photography skills, and the photos looked a bit like photos, which could not be defined, giving people "insecurity", and she was criticized for this.
Chen Man is sharing the story behind his work
At that time, image designer Li Dongtian called and invited Chen Man to shoot for a beauty magazine. In order to be angry, Chen Man did not use any post-processing technology and relied only on a light when shooting. Therefore, she got the nickname "Master of One Light".
Later, Chen Man took cover photos for celebrities. After accumulating to a certain extent, her talent was gradually recognized, until today. So she wrote a motto at the end of the exhibition: "Everything that has a picture is a photograph."
At that time, Chen Yifei was working on a magazine "Youth Vision", and Chen Man was still in his junior year. During the shooting, she borrowed a camera from a Hong Kong classmate and used film to shoot. However, the film could not be developed after the shooting, so she had to retake the photo.In the photos taken at that time, Chen Man used all her photography skills, and the photos looked a bit like photos, which could not be defined, giving people "insecurity", and she was criticized for this.
Chen Man is sharing the story behind his work
At that time, image designer Li Dongtian called and invited Chen Man to shoot for a beauty magazine. In order to be angry, Chen Man did not use any post-processing technology and relied only on a light when shooting. Therefore, she got the nickname "Master of One Light".
Later, Chen Man took cover photos for celebrities. After accumulating to a certain extent, her talent was gradually recognized, until today. So she wrote a motto at the end of the exhibition: "Everything that has a picture is a photograph."
