Lishui Photo Festival 2015

What a privilege to be invited back to the Lishui Photo Festival this year. I was invited to go previously in 2013, with 7 other American photographers (read about our adventures here). This time I was invited on my own, to accompany my Skeleton in the Closet show, and to give a lecture.

The Lishui Museum of Photography had shown Skeleton in the Closet in January of this year; they were kind enough to submit it to the festival as well, and it was accepted. They showed 58 of the 75 pieces in the series, which looked great on the wall, translated into Chinese.

So along with thousands of other photographers and art enthusiasts, I came to Lishui for 6 days.

First pleasant surprise of the week: spending time with fellow Portlander Laura Valenti (of Photolucida). We had a great time walking, talking, and photographing the city together.

It was nice to have a fellow photographer who could also double as a model….

Always nice to find yourself in the paper. Here, we’re with a well-known Celadon potter, who welcomed us into his show, and his shop (we also saw him in 2013).

In addition to the Skeleton in the Closet show, I also helped organize a second exhibition. The 8 American photographers who were there in 2013 (me, Heidi Kirkpatrick, Jim Leisy, Susan Kae Grant, Bill Vaccaro, Clay Lipsky, Barbara Ciurej, and Ryan Zoglin) took a lot of pictures (of course), and we were able to show 5 images each in the 2015 Festival.

With photographs I took in Lishui in 2013.

Xueke Wang (Isabella) watches the opening performance.

That is one fabulous opening to a show; my work was through that door….

The catalog for the festival was massive, and very nicely produced.

After my lecture, in which everyone in the room took my picture several times, I paused and took their picture as well. (My hardworking interpreter, Dongli, is on the left.)