Posts in December, 2008

I take one online course per semester at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. This is what I submitted for my finals. I won’t be taking a class next semester. I plan to use the money towards in-person workshops with one of my favorite photographers.

Artist’s Statement
I spent days walking in Beijing’s hutong alleys. The people are poor, but extremely hardworking. Rows and rows of homes that seem like they are about to crumble onto each other are crammed in small areas in the middle of the city, separated only by a 10-12 feet tall brick wall, away from the hustle and bustle that is Beijing. Inside, small alleys no wider 6-8 feet snake around the homes which, during the day, are filled with children playing, old people relaxing on their stoops and vendors selling everything from fish ball noodles and clementines to incense and soap. Its like a small city within a city.

As the sun started to set, the alleys quiet down. People packed up their stalls and headed home. I began my shoot. I am told by the locals that sometimes, two or even three families will cram into a small courtyard home. “Poor living conditions” is an understatement, but they seem content, self-sufficient and happy just the way things are. These are ancient homes passed down from generations. Many people simply do not know where they would go if and when the City decides to demolish the village to make way for modern development. Old and crumbling they may be, this is where home is.

These are images of the hutong homes. The dilapidated doors, the abandoned tri-shaw, the rusty windows, the images that portray Old Beijing.