Photographer Xianzao Zhao

Source: AAAB yearbook (2022). Original author: Huang Dejun Original date: Interview dated March 18, 2022 in the Chinese yearbook

On the afternoon of March 18, 2022, the author and Mr. Pin Ci Cao, the owner of Shin Hong trading in Boston's Chinatown, drove for nearly an hour to visit Mr. Zhao Xianzao, a famous Chinese photography artist. When we entered the well-known China Blossom restaurant in North Andover, Mr. Zhao Xianzao, who has been operating for 61 years, Mr. Zhao, who is nearly 90 years old but has a high spirit, greeted us in the lobby with a smile. After sitting down, sipping mellow coffee, listening to the chatty Mr. Zhao tell his legendary life story.

Mr. Zhao Xianzao was born in Taishan, Guangdong in 1936. In 1948, he came into contact with the camera when he was a junior high school student in Guangzhou Peizheng Middle School. In 1950, he made his debut in photography. In 1951, the 15-year-old Zhao Xianzao traveled far and wide to make a living in the United States. For more than 70 years in a foreign land, he used his unique perspective to capture all things in the world. With unpretentious lens language and poetic picture atmosphere, he freezes historical moments and pinned his infinite feelings for his homeland and country. Countless eternal memories that travel through time and space... Among Mr. Zhao Xianzao's numerous photographs, the Hong Kong photographs taken in the 1950s and 1960s are eye-catching. The fishermen who went out to sea facing the rising sun, the innocent children, the old businesses that no longer existed, the bluestone streets sprinkled by the sun... These images of the past that no longer reappear have not only become the imprint of history under the lens of Mr. Zhao Xianzao, but also become the mark of history and Eternity of an era. The scarcity of documentary content and visual documentation makes this collection of images invaluable. Thanks to this batch of video records by Mr. Zhao Xianzao, only today can we get a glimpse of the old appearance of the prosperous city of Hong Kong. Mr. Zhao Xianzao is not only a witness to history, but also reflects his deep affection for his homeland and his never-lost Chinese heart through these precious images. From 1985 to 1998, Mr. Zhao Xianzao held solo exhibitions in many galleries and museums in the United States, and his works were collected by 4 museums in the United States. From 1992 to 2021, Mr. Zhao Xianzao held personal photography in more than 10 venues including Central Academy of Arts and Crafts, National Art Museum of China, Hong Kong Art Center, Museum of Overseas Chinese History, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Lingnan School of Painting Memorial Hall/University City Art Museum of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, etc. Exhibition. Many works are in the permanent collection of the museum.

Mr. Yuan Yunfu, a famous Chinese painter and professor of Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts, made a very incisive evaluation of Zhao Xianzao's works in 1990: "Mr. Xianzao strives to elevate nature into the realm of poetry that combines emotion and decoration in his works, revealing the profoundness and magnanimity of his unique black-and-white world, the pursuit of grandeur, the capture of every beautiful moment, and the true meaning of human touch in the indifferent scenery. Mr. Zhao diligently followed the creative spirit led by 'the unity of nature and man', That's what makes his work so captivating and moving." Although Mr. Zhao Xianzao has achieved high artistic achievements, he is very modest, low-key, and indifferent to fame and fortune. He also pays great attention to the living conditions of the Chinese and overseas Chinese in Chinatown, and actively contributes his own strength to the construction and development of the Chinese community and overseas Chinese groups. I sincerely wish Mr. Zhao Xianzao good health and longevity, and his artistic pursuit will never end!

Zhao Xianzao's Art Chronology Born in 1936 in Taishan, Guangdong In 1948, he came into contact with the camera and began to photograph Hong Kong and Guangzhou in a documentary style. In 1950, he won the first place in the monthly competition of Guangdong Photography Association hosted by Xue Zijiang Went to America in 1951 In 1955, he won the first prize of the Boston "Global Daily" annual competition. In 1956, he won the first prize of the Boston "Global Daily" annual competition In 1957, he won the first prize of the Boston "Global Daily" annual competition 1st place in the 1959 National Military Photo Contest 1963-1965 Winner of the Boston Photographic Society Annual Competition for three consecutive years In 1966, he was awarded the Senior Fellow of the Royal Film Institute (FRPS) In 1968, he won the second place in the world's top ten salons, and his works were permanently collected by the Seattle Art Museum In 1968, the work was permanently collected by the American Seaman's Museum 1983 Solo Exhibition, North Essex Community College, Massachusetts, USA In 1985, a personal exhibition at the Beabotai Museum, Massachusetts, USA, the work was permanently collected In 1988, the Addison American Art Gallery held a personal exhibition, and the work was permanently collected 1992 Solo Exhibition of Central Academy of Arts and Crafts 1998 Arthur Griffin Art Gallery, Winchester solo exhibition 2000 Participated in the Asia Society/Aperture group exhibition In 2005, a solo exhibition was held at the Hong Kong Arts Center Pingyao International Photography Festival held Zhao Xianzao Hong Kong Photography Exhibition In 2011, Huai'an International Cinema held "My Hometown: Zhao Xianzao Photography Exhibition" 2012 Participated in a group exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum In 2016, the National Art Museum of China held "Scent on the Snow Shore: Zhao Xianzao's Photography Retrospective Exhibition" In 2017, the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China held "Journey to the West: Zhao Xianzao Photography Exhibition" From 2020 to 2021, the Lingnan School of Painting Memorial Hall/University City Art Museum of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts will hold "Past Years: Zhao Xianzao's Photography Art Exhibition", and the works will be permanently collected by the Lingnan School of Painting Memorial Hall.

A Female Social heroism ——Interview with Ms. Nguyen Su Mai, Chairman of Nguyen Clan Institute

Author: Huang Dejun

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