It Is I too — Photographic: Self-Portraits By 21 Chinese Artists

The aim of this project is not that of assembling a series of works of indubitable aesthetic and artistic value, but rather that of stimulating the artists to reflect upon themselves and upon the image they consider to best represent them, translated into the language of photography.  The artists summoned here are not all photographers; some are painters, sculptors, or multimedia artists. Contrary to what one may think, the fact of being obliged to use the medium of photography does not necessarily favor those who regularly employ it professionally. Sometimes it is the feeling of freedom and novelty that a medium we are unused to working with elicits that helps us to produce works of remarkable depth and unusual freshness. In any case, the challenge lies not so much in detaching ourselves from that which we know only too well and that often does not represent us as we really are, but rather from what we know or believe others expect from us.