Cheng Xinhao

Cheng Xinhao is a Chinese artist born in Yunnan Province in 1985. He initially studied Chemistry at Peking University and earned his PhD in 2013. However, he later pursued photography and has become known for his multidisciplinary artistic methods.

Xinhao's work largely centres around two marginalized groups in China: the Mang People, an ethnic minority group living along the border with Vietnam, and the laborers at the Sanhe Labour Market, new migrants living in the Shenzhen Longhua Industrial District. By following these groups for extended periods, Xinhao explores the personal impacts of the ever-expanding system of global capitalism.

Xinhao's works investigate modernization, the construction of knowledge, and the production of space in Chinese society. He has won several awards, including the Shiseido Photography Award in 2015, the Abigail Cohen Fellowship in 2017, and the sixth Hou Dengke Documentary Photograph Award in 2017. Additionally, his works have been shortlisted for numerous other awards, including the Arles Author Book Award, the Aperture PhotoBook Award, and the Three Shadows Photography Award.

Xinhao's works have been published by Jiazazhi Press, including The Naming of a River (2016) and Time from Different Sources: Images from Ciman Village (2017). Xinhao's art sheds light on the marginalized and underserved populations of China, exploring the ways in which their lives are impacted by global capitalism and societal changes.