Ren Hang uses the photographic medium both as an essential means to express individualism and existential concerns. By portraying his own generation in modern-day China, his images reflect the spontaneous and random living conditions in their subculture.
His images blur the boundaries between private and public by displaying his own life and those of intimate acquaintances, showcasing different aspects of his peers’ lifestyles.
Ren Hang’s carefully constructed staged photography is ambiguous, with his subjects devoid of any sense of self. At times the work is exploitative and highly fetishistic, provoking an immediate emotional response; at other times it is abstract and minimalistic, inviting quiet contemplation.
