Presenting Lanyue Li

This week on the blog I am featuring the work of fellow photographer Lanyue Li.

Originally from Guilin, China, Li attended the Art University of Bournemouth for his bachelor's degree, and is currently studying Documentary Photography as a master student at the University of South Wales, formerly Newport University.

Li is interested in photography as a form of visual language, often making comparisons in imagery, to poetry or syntax. One can see this development in his undergraduate work, Undefined Home, which was inspired by writings left in a travel journal written about Li's hometown.

Continuing his exploration of place, Li's master's work investigates the composition of his current surroundings; South Wales. The tentative title of the series is Unacquainted Land.

Using a square format, Li captures the ambiance of his setting by organizing the formal elements of his surroundings. He finds patterns in value and texture, shape and line, layering nuances, and sometimes subtle humor into the frame of his camera. The images have a certain stillness to them, as if they are inviting the viewer into a visual world of their own; one that is perhaps unfamiliar and asking to be considered.

Below are five images from this newest series to show as a preview before its official debut at the University of South Wales graduate show this October at the Diffusion Festival in Cardiff. To see more of Lanyue Li's cleverly constructed work, visit his website at: www.lanyueli.com