Nikon Photo Contest 2018-2019

Next Generation Award photo story

Bronze Prize

《角Er》(" JUE'ER " - The Roles We Play)

谢 欣言(Xin Yan Xie)

China

Story

We are all actors playing a role in the big society, and every role paves different paths in life. Some are fortunate, some are joyful, some are sorrowful, and some are cruel. The paths of these actors intricately intertwine with each other on and off the stage.

Comment

I am honored that my work has won the Bronze Prize for the photo story of the Nikon Photo Contest “Next Generation Award” category. This set of photos was taken last August, at Qingyuan Palace located in Jiangjin District, Chongqing. This opera troupe was called “Longtan Opera Club”. It was a folk opera troupe. The eldest of these Sichuan Opera actors was over 70, and the youngest was only 11. They come here twice a year and perform for about 10 days each time. I stayed here for nearly a week when I took these pictures. Every day I went to where they were staying and the place where they performed, as well as backstage where the actors put on and remove their make-up, change their costumes, and keep their props. I found that their life was not so different from those who came here to watch the shows. The only thing different was when they put on their make-up, dressed in costume, and walked through the crowds, they looked both modern and ancient, both contradictory and in harmony with their environment. Onstage they gave performances about love, hatred, revenge, and eternal separation between loved ones in the lives of ancient people. But when they went backstage, they took out their mobile phones and started to use WeChat, share their messages on social media, and talk about the afternoon’s mahjong, etc. All that I saw made me feel like I was traveling through time. With this work, I want to show people the current state of Sichuan Opera as a traditional art, along with the daily lives of the Sichuan Opera actors. For me, photography is not only my major, it is my college life and my first step towards art. It also represents a road that never ends. I hope to continue walking on this road and make photography my life’s work.

PAGE TOP