STUDIO TIME

Enjoy Hai Zhang's latest projects in Catskill forests and on New York streets as he talks to his fellow photographer Yojiro Imasaka from his country home.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Hai and his family fled the city to their home in the country, and as the situation worsened, they decided to stay there for an extended period. As a cityscape photographer who takes daily pictures of residents in Harlem and the Bronx, Hai faces an artistic challenge. How can he explore nature and time as new elements of his work? He begins to document what he can do outdoors with his family in unexpected ways.

HAI ZHANG

Born in 1976 in Kunming, China, HAI ZHANG works in New York City. Since relocating to the U.S. in 2000, he has resided in Alabama, Miami, Washington, DC, and New York. He has exhibited in North America, Asia, and Europe, including solo exhibitions eyes are not satisfied with seeing at MIYAKO YOSHINAGA in 2018 and Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost, at Galerie Voies Off, Arles, France (as part of the yearlong 2013 European Capital of Culture Marseille-Provence Program). He was nominated for Deutsche Borse Photography 2014. His work is in the permanent collection of The Library of Congress. Hai travels extensively throughout China and the U.S. for his photography projects. Hai lives with his wife Yixin and son Beaumont who is currently collaborating for his "country" project.

Hai comments, “Two aspects of photography are essential to me – what leads to the action of taking photographs; and what the photographs lead to. While the photographs are dutifully bearing the witness of the moments, to me, the process of taking photos gives me a pass to directly observe and participate in the events.”