Release Yourself By Acting In Photographs

Featuring Ziyu Wang Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski

Website Instagram

One of the topics Ziyu Wang, a photographer from Shanghai, chooses to raise with his images is the idea of breaking the consensus and the outdated notions. Ziyu decides to bring it forth to a discussion by juxtaposing what is expected by society with the emergence of the modern dialogue. He raises awareness of the misconceptions that still take place between generations by sharing his own experience and relationship with his father. Breaking the stereotypes that deal with the perception of homosexuality, masculinity and femininity lay at the heart of the narrative Ziyu invites us to enjoy.

Ziyu Wang is currently living and working in London. He has his BA in Photography from Wuhan Textile University, and he’s studying to gain his MA from the London College of Communication.

In this interview, we speak with Ziyu about his decision to study photography which emerged from the desire to express himself more freely. As Ziyu says, “When I went to University, I chose photography as my major, and I found that taking pictures was like talking to myself. It allowed me to express something more complex.” We discuss the approach to work on portraiture and Ziyu winning first place at the Portrait Awards 2022, Lensculture. Ziyu explains his path to start taking self-portraits and the connection to self-expression. For him gaining more confidence and becoming braver was the turning point which allowed him to bring forth more of his personality and passion into the image. 

‘Looking back on my childhood, I failed almost all exams due to my poor memory, and I was labeled as a bad student in the Chinese education system. At the same time, my parents were busy with their work and had no time to care what I thought.’

My Story

Hi Ziyu, thanks for the opportunity to speak with you about your work. Going several years back, what was the main motivator for you that made you focus on photography? Why did you decide to pursue it as a career? 

Looking back on my childhood, I failed almost all exams due to my poor memory, and I was labeled as a bad student in the Chinese education system. At the same time, my parents were busy with their work and had no time to care what I thought. As a result of the lack of communication with my parents and my lack of self-confidence, it became difficult for me to express myself. Sometimes I could not fully express myself. When I went to University, I chose photography as my major, and I found that taking pictures was like talking to myself. It allowed me to express something more complex.

‘The free-speech nature of social networks has been stimulating in all directions. From an artistic point of view, some young artists make a lot of eye-catching art to attract attention. In the face of this phenomenon, it becomes part of my pressure to do art.’

Portrait Awards 2022

Congratulations on being shortlisted and one of the winners at Portrait Awards 2022! A lot can be conveyed through a portrait, from deep emotion to a socio-economic statement or critique of society. What is important for you when working on portraits? Where does your focus lie? 

Thank you very much. When I heard I had won, I suspected it was a ruse. To return to your topic, I always consider what is most important when I take photos. Before photographing portraits, I usually give it a lot of thought. Can the viewers understand my photos? What should I do in the following photograph? Is the setting appropriate for the situation? How should the lights be configured? But, in the end, I discovered that getting a decent night's sleep before shooting was the most critical thing.

Go Get ‘Em Boy

The topic of rediscovering masculinity through various prisms is an emerging one today. Masculinity presented as a scale is also predominant through the queer gaze. With your work, you emphasize the tension between traditions or traditional Chinese families and the personal exploration of masculinity. What is the current pressure put on young artists, in your opinion? 

When I learned that I was one of the winners of the 2022 Portrait Awards, I checked Instagram for the first time. I saw a lot of skepticism in the comments, and I started to realize how easy it is to judge people on social media. The free-speech nature of social networks has been stimulating in all directions. From an artistic point of view, some young artists make a lot of eye-catching art to attract attention. In the face of this phenomenon, it becomes part of my pressure to do art. The second is inflation — all kinds of goods are rising in price. I feel the unprecedented pressure of survival. Of course, the recent heatwave in London has also been stressful : )

‘I gradually became bolder to reveal in my work what had been hidden from me, which is why I began to create self-portraits. Release yourself by acting in photographs.’

Shanghai to London

A year ago, you decided to move to London and pursue your MFA in Photography at the London College of Communication. What is the main difference in approach when you compare studying photography in Shanghai and London? What was the most striking thing for you?

I did my undergraduate study in Wuhan, a city in central China. During my undergraduate years, I invested a lot of time in the technology itself, but that changed when I moved to London to start my MA course. I paid more attention to the starting point of self-expression. I gradually became bolder to reveal in my work what had been hidden from me, which is why I began to create self-portraits. Release yourself by acting in photographs, even though acting is a very radical form of expression.

A Sneak Peek 

Could you provide us a sneak peek into the project you’re currently working on or some of the themes in development? 

I've recently been preparing a project for a still life shoot where I want to build different images of masculinity through a combination of male objects in the photographs. But it is still in the conceptual stage.