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Li Fan, China Mainland

2023 Sony World Photography Awards - Winner, Architecture & Design, Professional Competition

2015 Sony World Photography Awards - Winner, Lifestyle, Professional Competition

 

Mr. Li Fan is Professor of Shaanxi Normal University,China, member of board of directors of China Photographers Association, winner of China’s most prominent award in photography -- the “Golden Statue Award”, judge of the 13th and 11th Chinese Golden Statue Award for Photography, one of the 7th Top Ten Chinese Portrait Photographers, judge of the 8th Top Ten Chinese Portrait Photographers, golden award winner of the 20th China National Photographic Art Award and Exhibition, judge of the 24th China National Photographic Art Award and Exhibition, judge of the 8th China Top Ten Portrait Photographers, member of Art Photography Committee of China Photographers Association.

Li Fan is the first photographer to have completed the shooting of humanistic and cultural scenarios along the route of ancient Silk Road, the first Chinese photographer to win the First Place in the Professional Category of Sony World Photography Award (SWPA), the first Chinese photographer to receive award in the Festival Palace in Cannes, France, and the first non-member photographer to hold photo exhibition in Hong Kong Foreign Correspondent Club.

Li Fan has been focusing his attention on the culture and civilization in countries along the Silk Road. He travelled far and wide along the route and visited Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, Greece, Nepal, Laos, Thailand, U.K., France, Norway, Sweden, Korea as well as many parts of China, leaving a trail of documenting Silk Road. He also visited many regions in western China where most inhabitants are ethnic minorities, documenting the living conditions and social changes of ethnic Yi, Uygur, Tajik, Tibet and Hui people, in an effort to preserve the disappearing human culture in images and leave a legacy of photographic works. He works depicting the ecological environment, social changes and cultural landscape, open a new window to today’s Silk Road civilizations and help viewers feel the impact of ancient Silk Road on the countries along the route.

Li Fan has always focused his lens on the livelihood, ethnicity and religion. So far he has completed the photo projects of Yi People on the Liangshan Mountains, Religious Faith in Rural Yunnan, Keriyas: the Desert People, Naked Face: Life of Tajiks in China, Tongxin - a Place Least Suitable for Human Existence, Kashgar Residence Buildings - An Uygur Cultural Heritage, The Vanishing Hotan Old Town, Under the Kunlun Mountains, Life on the Wasteland, Relocation After the Three Gorges Dam Construction, Under Bengali Sky, Mantras From Across the Himalayas, The Rohingyans, Pollution in Bangladesh, Child Labor in Bangladesh, Kashimir Veil, Persian Rose, Osman Romance, Istanbul, Under Pyramids, Egyptians, Italy Through The Lens of A Chinese Photographer, Pamir Crown: A Tajik Chronicle, Dressing Up at Tang Dynasty Mausoleums, and Underground Cave Dwellings in Central Shaanxi, Left-behind Children in West China, Living Along an Urban Railroad, Sports in Rural West China, Lepriasis Rehabilitation Village, A Village Plagued with Osteofluorosis, On the Polluted Highway, etc.

 

He has published several collections of works including Yi People on the Liangshan Mountains, Under Bengali Sky and Muslims of Arid Soil.

 

Photographic Achievements:

2019 Silver Award - People's Photography "Golden Lens" Press Photo Award (2018)
2018 Under Bengali Sky: Award of Recognition -The Premier Print Award(2018)
2018 Silver Award - People's Photography "Golden Lens" Press Photo Award (2017)
2015 First Place – Lifestyle Category, Professional competition, 2015 Sony World Photography Awards (SWPA)

2015 Gold Award - 11th China International Press Photo Competition (CHIPP)
2014 Bronze Award - Culture and Art Category, Press Photo Award (2013), People's Photography
2014 Shortlisted - 3rd "Xu Xiaobing" Cup China Photographic Exhibition
2014 Bronze Award - China Ningxia 2nd Islamic Culture International Photographic Competition
2013 Honorable Mention - 9th China International Press Photo Competition (CHIPP)
2012 Honorable Mention - "Searching for the Most Beautiful Country Teachers" Calligraphic, Painting and Photographic Exhibition sponsored by Guangming Daily and China Central Television

2012 Honorable Mention - 8th China International Press Photo Competition (CHIPP)

2012 7th Top Ten Chinese Portrait Photographers

2011 Silver Award, Bronze Award and Honorable Mention, Editorial Images Best Non-Professional Stories – Zoom-in on Poverty Global Photo Contest, sponsored by Xinhua

2011 Silver Award - 7th China International Press Photo Competition (CHIPP)
2011 Masters Award - Hasselblad International Photography Competition 2010
2010 First Award - “National Geography” Photo Contest, China Group
2010 Gold Award - PPA Asia and the 3rd Jinan International Photographic Biennale

2009 Grand Award - Kenko International Filter Photographic Competition, China Group

2009 Award for Photographic Creation - China Golden Statue Photography Awards
2009 3rd Prize - Professional Sports Category, Sony World Photography Awards (SWPA)

2009 Silver Award - 5th China International Press Photo Competition (CHIPP)

2009 Silver Award - 17th China Journalistic Photography "Golden Lens" Award
2007 Annual Award - "Triopo" International Landscape Photographic Contest
2006 Title of Photographers with Outstanding Contribution in the Last 50 Years of Chinese Photography
2006 Gold Award - "Socialist New Countryside" National Photographic Competition and Exhibition
2006 Collection Award - Chinese People's Clothing Photographic Competition
2004 Title of Top Ten Featured University Photographers in China
2004 Red Candle Award - Commendation Fund for Photographic Education in Chinese Universities
2004 Gold Award - 3rd Austrian Super Photo Circuit Exhibition
2003 Title of Top Ten Contemporary Chinese Body Art Photographers
2003 Grand Award - 2002 Epson Annual Chinese Portraits Grand Competition
2003 Expert’s Choice Award - Portrait Category, China National Epson Digital Photographic Competition
2002 Gold Award - 9th China Lucky Film Photographic Art Competition
2002 Gold Award - 20th National Photographic Art Exhibition
2002 First Prize - Minolta Alpha Cup China National Photographic Competition

Exhibitions:

2018 Yi People on the Liangshan Mountains, 3rd Shenzhen International Photography Week, China

2018 Under Bengali Sky, Pau, France
2017 Under Bengali Sky, Cui Zhenkuan Art Museum, Xi'an, China
2016 Under Bengali Sky, Xi'an Qujiang Book City, Xi'an, China
2016 Under Bengali Sky, Sony U Space, Beijing, China
2014 Ethnic Yi People in Liangshan, China, Shenzhen, China
2014 Ethnic Yi People in Liangshan, China, First Chang'an Photographic Festival, Donguan, China
2014 Ethnic Yi People in Liangshan, China (2004-2014), LonGallery, Beijing, China
2012 The Heaviness of Life: Li Fan’s Photographic Works, Xi’an Arts Museum, Xi'an, China
2012 Christianity in Yunnan, China, China (Qinghai) Sanjiangyuan International Photography Festival, Xining, China
2012 The Look of Existence: Li Fan’s Photographic Works, Beijing Epson Photo Gallery, Beijing, China
2011 Christianity in Yunnan, China, Beijing Jingyuan Photography Festival, Beijing, China

2011 Christianity in Yunnan, China, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
2010 Ethnic Yi People in Liangshan, China, representing Chinese Photographers Association at Arles Photography Festival, Arles, France
2010 Ethnic Yi People in Liangshan, China, Dali International
Photography Festival, Dali, China
2009 Folk Sports in China, Sony Photography Festival, Cannes, France
2008 Ethnic Yi People in Liangshan, China, Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club, Hong Kong, China
2007 Ethnic Yi People in Liangshan, China, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
2004 Joint Exhibition of “Love of Millennium across Taiwan Straits”, representing Chinese Photographers Association

 

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