DECEMBER 2025
LI YIHONG
I looked at the graduation bouquet I had picked up outside the school gates, and suddenly wanted to photograph something.
I made this series just after graduating, when I was living alone in a rented room. The job I had signed for before graduation fell through when the employer broke the agreement; a relationship ended; and at the same time, two years of treatment for a lung condition had brought no resolution.
I cut the flowers in half, wrapped them in cling film, lit them, and photographed them.
THE ARCHIVE ASKS — 01
What does photography mean to you?
Photography is like a mirror to me. Through it, I can see the fear and confusion deep inside myself—and come to recognise them.
THE ARCHIVE ASKS — 02
Do you think photography has a healing role in your life?
Observation before photographing is the first step into a dialogue.
Photographing is the process of communicating.
The image I make becomes a part of my body.
For me, this is a long-term process of psychological healing. I take this part of myself out, sort through it—heal it—and then place it back within myself.
THE ARCHIVE ASKS — 03
When you look at these photographs now, do you feel the same as you did when you first took them?
When I was making them, it felt as though I had opened a door inward. Now I have walked farther and farther inside, and farther and farther away from that door.
THE ARCHIVE ASKS — 04
Are there particular photographic themes you are drawn to?
Self-exploration.
THE ARCHIVE / CREATOR
Series
Heart, 2025