This collection is named Family Albums, as these intimate collections have given me so much inspiration. Family albums have always held a special fascination for me; they are not only my first impression of photography, but also a medium that carries the stories and history of each family. Within their pages, we are afforded glimpses into the youthful days of grandparents and parents, faces we’ve never encountered in the flesh, presenting us with a window to eras’ long past.

I wanted to create a photo series for modern families in Xinjiang, China, but I also wanted it to retain the nostalgic feel of family albums. Therefore, during shoots, we deliberately blurred timelines, hoping the photos would appear as if they were happening now, as if looking back from the present to the past, or as a future reflection on the present.

In sculpting this ambiance, my objective was to weave the threads of familial motifs while lavishly spotlighting the culinary delights and communal cultures of Xinjiang. We casted ten local friends who weren’t professional models. Each was assigned a role, including mother, elder brother, sister, brother-in-law, younger sister, and the adolescent younger brother. This was my first attempt at creating a photo shoot in a style akin to fictional storytelling, making the whole process feel like shooting a short film.

This is not just a fictional “family album”; it represents many Xinjiang family albums and is a microcosm of life in Xinjiang. Each family, in its unique divergence, mirrors the others, forming the fundamental unit of urban, regional, and cultural identity.