Farmer
By Pang Xiaowei

A curated selection of 160 images from Pang Xiaowei’s Chinese Farmers projectCompanion book to the Chinese Farmers exhibitions, held in Times Square (October 2020), Yantai Art Museum, the national Art Museum of China, and many other venuesIntroductory essays by Pang Xiaowei and Chen LvshengShortlisted for the Photographic Books Award at the British Book Design and Production Awards 2023Part of an ongoing series, China Culture Perspectives, of authoritative books by and about major figures in China’s creative cultureFarmer: Photographic Portraits by Pang Xiaowei represents a curated selection from more than 1000 portraits taken by Pang Xiaowei during a mammoth mission to photograph farmers from every province in China. It is a monument to China’s agricultural workforce that affords them the recognition they deserve and celebrates their dedication to their country.The farmers of the Chinese mainland help feed 1.39 billion people. This powerful series of portraits captures the souls of these men and women: their hardiness, their work ethic, their dedication to the land.Portraiture is one of the strongest visual methods of communication. As Pang Xiaowei says, “Portraits have a language; they can tell us so much. Portraits have force, and that force is directed towards our hearts.” Looking into the eyes of the farmers featured in this book, that connection is evident. These portraits forge a link between the observer and the subject, building on the ancient Chinese tradition of ‘spirit resonance in portraiture’ (chuan shen xie zhao). This aspect of Xiaowei’s photography is explored in an accompanying essay by the celebrated Chinese artist, Chen Lvsheng.