Chinese, b. 1960; lives and works in Changzhou, China
Inspired by traditional Chinese paintings and historical settings such as the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) in Beijing, Hong Lei became one of the leading artists of China’s New Photography movement in the 1990s. Hong’s photographic work often conveys an intense sense of nostalgia, lamenting the decline of traditional Chinese culture during the country’s tumultuous history of war and conflict in the 20th century.