The Photographic Alphabet: X is for Yu Xiao

Going to School © Yu Xiao

May is National Photography Month! About “Nursery Rhymes”
The Young Pioneer—the successor of the communism: it is a social identity that almost each juvenile growing up under the Five-Starred Red Flag used to have, and another name of our childhood. Generally, childhood is, without doubt, full of happiness. However, in today’s schools, the Yong Pioneer, such a vivid image, is under the machine-made traditional education mode. 

Flying Kites © Yu Xiao

Loving Blue Sky © Yu Xiao

With personality being covered, the Young Pioneer has almost become a unified mark forming in one collective activity after another. By “re-composing images”, I reproduced the happy times of “Let’s Go Boating”, the things happening in “Happy Festivals”, and the memories of walking on the way to school with “warm sunshine pouring down” once belonging to me. Scenes in paintings are derived from collective activities that most Young Pioneers used to participate in and popular nursery rhymes which remind us of the beautiful moments and happiness of childhood. While resting eyes on those naive faces showing, some kind of maturity and alienation beyond their ages, it can be felt that collective activities, while bringing the sense of order to children, have covered their innocence gradually. In those naive, pure and lively faces, I feel that I can find myself.

Cheerful Festival © Yu Xiao

Tug of War © Yu Xiao