Li Zhensheng

Yesterday 24 May 2008, I went to an amazing seminar at the Padma & Hari Harilela Lecture Theatres, Hong Kong Bapists Univesity, Kowloon Tong

The seminar was chaired by 

Li Zhensheng was born in 1940 in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China. After early studies as a cinematographer, he began working as a photographer for the Heilongjiang Daily in northeastern China, where he stayed for over ninteen years before beginning a teaching career at the International Political Science Institute of the University of Beijing. In 2003 his chronicle of the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) was published as Red-Color News Soldier: A Chinese Photographer's Odyssey Through the Cultural Revolution (Phaidon 2003). His photographic collection has been represented worldwide by Contact Press Images since 1999. He is based in Beijing and New York.  The above was quoted from Contact Press Images INC's  website

Contact Press Images INC was founded by David BURNETT and Annie LEIBOVITZ (and may others), with Special distribution by Sebastiao SALGAGO, LI Zhensheng himself and Don McCULLIN + many other photographers.  ( http://www.contactpressimages.com )and organized by "Photo Magazine" POP ART GROUP LTD and the HKBU.  This seminar and then following by an exhibition of the Contact Press Images INC at the Former Shek Kip Mei Factory (now newly refurbished as The Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre ( http://net3.hkbu.edu.hk/~jccac/content_t.php?page=main ).  This project was inspired by the highly successful art community project of 798 Space of Beijing ( http://www.798space.com/index_en.asp ). The renowned photographic book "Red-Color News Soldier" was published in many languages - English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish but sadly not in Chinese maybe for obvious political reason.  Unfortunately my Mandarin is quite poor, so I do not understand all Mr. Li said.Mr. Li is pushing 70 but still full of energy and passion towards photography.  He was actually shooting at the Sichuan Earthquake 3 minutes silence, Tiananmen Square, Beijing a few days before this seminar.  He is actually a very friend guy too and does not seem to have been affected by the Cultural Revolution.  He is also the first mainland Chinese photographer I have come into contact.  The feeling at both the seminar and the party were so wonderful and I took lots of photograph for myself and photographed for him as well using his little Panansonic.

During the beginning of the seminar, I realized that I have seen Mr. Li's solo exhibition on "Red-Color News Soldier" a few years ago - must be 2003 / 4 at The Photographers' Gallery, London.  The show was most impressive as they were large scale prints that show a deal of details on Cultural Revolution even though just as images.

It wasn't purely just as a photographic seminar but also a historic lesson - first hand account of the Cultural Revoltuion.  As a Chinese and photographer who has lots of interest in human history, this was a once in a life time chance to meet a legend!!!