Exhibition View of “Glinting Light: An Exploration of Luo Bonian’s Photography”
Supported jointly by the Luo Bonian Art Foundation and Three Shadows +3 Gallery, curated by Hu Jiawen, Deputy Director of Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, “Glinting Light: An Exploration of Luo Bonian’s Photography” embarks on a spring tour to Three Shadows Photography Art Centre from April 4, 2025.
This exhibition focuses on Luo Bonian, a self-taught photographer from the Republic of China era, highlighting the “golden decade” of his exploration and practice from the 1930s to the 1940s. It showcases near hundreds gelatin silver prints of his classic photographs, each embodying his distinctive artistic style and covering a wide range of subjects including natural landscapes, experimental collages, and still life setups. These works not only demonstrate Luo Bonian’s solid photographic skills but also reveal his unique insights into life and art.
Exhibition View of “Glinting Light: An Exploration of Luo Bonian’s Photography”
The exhibition also displays precious private photographic learning materials of Luo Bonian, ranging from imported books and film boxes to magazines featuring his works, as well as heartwarming photos with family and friends. Additionally, the exhibition is complemented by Luo Bonian’s personal collection of photography books and an oral history interview video featuring anecdotes from his granddaughter, Ms. Luo Hangyan, collectively portraying a vivid personal portrait of Mr. Luo and his kaleidoscopic artistic world.
During the Republic of China era, the influx of Western culture fueled the prosperity of photographic art, gradually freeing photography from the constraints of mere craftsmanship and transforming it into a novel and expressive art form. On this fertile ground ripe for cultivation, a group of outstanding photographers and distinctive photographic communities emerged like mushrooms after rain, and Luo Bonian was undoubtedly one of them.
Born into a family of officials at the Hangzhou county yamen, he was deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture from a young age. However, he was not bound by tradition but embraced the new era with an open attitude. As a professional banker, with his passion and persistent pursuit of photographic art, he quietly injected new vitality and inspiration into the photographic art of the Republic of China.
Exhibition View of “Glinting Light: An Exploration of Luo Bonian’s Photography”
Luo Bonian’s photographic style was unique and versatile, blending the charm of the pictorialist style with avant-garde elements of Western modernist photography to form his own distinctive style. This was attributed to his extensive knowledge and fervent affection for new culture. He constantly absorbed the essence of Western modernist photography, daring to try and experiment. Furthermore, Luo Bonian forged deep friendships with elites in the literary and artistic circles, including renowned writers like Yu Dafu and artists like Cao Xiyu. Their exchanges and discussions further enriched the cultural connotation and artistic value of Luo Bonian’s photographic works.
Luo Bonian, Drawing Water from a Well, 1932. Gelatin silver print, 8.2×5.9cm. Courtesy of Luo Bonian Art Foundation and Three Shadows +3 Gallery.
Luo Bonian, Transformation, 1938. Gelatin silver print, 24.5×23.7cm. Courtesy of Luo Bonian Art Foundation and Three Shadows +3 Gallery.
Luo Bonian, Riverful of Timber Worthy of Being Pillars, Inscription provided by Yu Dafu, 1935. Gelatin silver print, 29.5×20cm.Courtesy of Luo Bonian Art Foundation and Three Shadows +3 Gallery.
Luo Bonian, Untitled,1930s-1940s. Gelatin silver print, 7.5×5.5cm.Courtesy of Luo Bonian Art Foundation and Three Shadows +3 Gallery.
He was not only an excellent photographer but also a wise man who had insight into the essence of life. He published articles in the magazine Life at the Bank of China, advocating the concept of “artistic living,” viewing photography as a means to enrich life rather than a career. This relaxed yet rigorous, free yet profound creative attitude filled his photographic works with the breath of life and the charm of art.
Luo Bonian, Untitled,1930s-1940. Gelatin silver print, 5.9×5.9cm.
Courtesy of Luo Bonian Art Foundation and Three Shadows +3 Gallery.
Luo Bonian, Untitled,1930s-1940s. Gelatin silver print, 12×12cm. Courtesy of Luo Bonian Art Foundation and Three Shadows +3 Gallery.
Luo Bonian, Untitled, 1930s-1940s. Gelatin silver print, 37.8x29.7cm.Courtesy of Luo Bonian Art Foundation and Three Shadows +3 Gallery.
Between 1938 and 1946, China was in the stage of the War of Resistance Against Japan. Luo Bonian was also affected by the war. However, during these difficult years, he remained steadfast in his love and dedication to photographic art, turning his lens to objects within reach at home as the themes of his artistic creation. These still-life works are not only a testament to his photographic career but also a repository of his spiritual world. Today, as we span nearly a century to view these photographic originals slightly glistening with silver due to erosion of years, we can almost feel those once dreamlike moments gradually coalescing into the shape of life.
Exhibition View of “Glinting Light: An Exploration of Luo Bonian’s Photography”
This exhibition is not only a review and tribute to Luo Bonian’s photographic exploration but also aims to convey his perseverance and talent, as well as his love and dedication to life, to everyone fortunate enough to witness it. It will remain on view till June 1, 2025. His works will be featured in the group exhibition “Global Pictorialism” at Tate Modern in the UK.
About the Artist
Luo Bonian (1911-2002): Born in early 1911 in a family of county officials in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, his given name was Jun and his courtesy name was Bonian. He used the artistic name Wang Suxue. From a young age, he received education in traditional Chinese culture as well as Western finance. After graduation, he became an employee at the Bank of China while also beginning his artistic journey in photography. In 1934, he published his renowned work "Drawing Water from a Well" which pioneered the field of nude photography in China. Luo Bonian's works integrate both Chinese and Western techniques, with most of his pieces reflecting traditional Chinese aesthetic values. He is considered one of the representative photography artists of the Republic of China era. His landscape, portrait, and still-life photography captured precious moments of Chinese society during that specific period. Through his lens, one can see scenic landscapes, pedestrians and flying birds, as well as many still-life compositions and experimental works in the new artistic trend. His collage photography is regarded as a precursor to contemporary photography in China. His notable works include: "Drawing Water from a Well","The West Lake in Spring" and "Heavy Loads and Distant Journeys" which are featured in significant photography journals and collections from the Republic of China period, such as Fei Ying, Chinese Photography Magazine and Special Feature: Art Photography.
His works have been exhibited in various venues, including the "Friendship Photography Exhibition" in Shanghai, with inscriptions from Yu Dafu (1937). "Jinan International Photography Biennial"（2015）. "Chinese Photography: Twentieth Century and Beyond" Three Shadows Photography Art Centre (2015) . "The Chinese Photobook Collection – Luo Bonian, Yang Fudong" Three Shadows +3 Gallery（2016）." Shanghai Aura: Exploring Photographic Modernity in Early 20th Century China" Liu Haisu Art Museum (2017). " Literati Photography: Lyrical and Epic " Zhejiang Culture Hall· Zhejiang Exhibition Hall（2017）."Shape of Light: 100 Years of Photography and Abstract Art" Tate Modern（2018）. The 2nd "Lang Jingshan Cup "Chinese New Pictorial Photography Biennale in Huai'an International Photography Museum（2018). "Archive and Collections：Photo in China and The Establishment of CAA Art Museum’s Department of Photography in the Art Museum of China Academy of Art"（2019）."180 Years of Photography in China" Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan（2019）. "Professional Amateur and Emerging Modernity: Luo Bonian and His Contemporaries 1930s-1940s" Taikang Space（2019）."The Artistic Choices in 1949" Taikang Space（2019）.
His works are held in several prestigious institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York,the Art Museum of China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Liu Haisu Art Museum, Taikang Art Museum, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Photography Museum of Lishui, and Dali Photography Museum,among other important art institutions.
About the Exhibition
Curator: Hu Jiawen
Exhibition Executive: Li Yuying
Organizer: Three Shadows Photography Art Centre
Co-presented: Luo Bonian Art Foundation, Three Shadows +3 Gallery
Duration: 2024.04.04 - 06.01 (10:00-18:00 Close on Mondays)
Address: Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, 155A Caochangdi, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Courtesy of Three Shadows Photography Art Centre.
