Photographer and 2014 Genesis Format Bursary award-winner, Yan Wang Preston presents a vision of China – from the snow plains of Tibet to the distant ocean – in ‘Mother River’; a series of photographic works with accompanying films and objects from the long-term artistic and research project that she has worked on since 2010 in an effort to reconnect with her motherland.
The series of photographs have been taken at a precise interval of 100 kilometres along the Yangtze River and these large-format images make up the epic journey of 6,300 kilometres across China.
The concept for Mother River was put in place by Preston when she came to live in Yorkshire and was thinking about her motherland, China. Surrounded by other people’s images of the Yangtze River, she formulated a way that would be unique to her vision and without any sentimentality. The sequential and chronological order follows the flow of the river and the vast distance covered by the artist. The grand scale of the project, and the enormity of the Yangtze River have been reflected in the personal vision of Yan Preston.
This is a visual journey down the Yangtze, an ever-changing phenomenon.
The exhibitions in China are part of the launch of the first UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange, which comprises of two seasons of culture – the first, a UK season in China which takes place between March and July, led by the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy and a Chinese season in the UK in the second half of the year, led by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.
The touring ‘Mother River’ exhibition is produced with the support of the Format Festival Genesis Imaging bursary award 2014.
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