Pictures from the Heart

Jiang Zhenqing, winner of the China Photography Award, top award of its kind in China, is known for his work in Tibet. He first ventured there in 1987 and was enchanted by its breathtaking scenery and devout people. To record what he saw, Jiang picked up a camera. More than three decades have passed, and Tibet is preserved not only on his film but in his heart.

“The first place I visited was Ngari,” reveals Jiang. “It was October and already really cold in Tibet. Despite altitude stress and harsh conditions—I had to stay overnight in a collapsing temple in extreme cold—I was amazed by Tibet’s snowy mountains, rivers, prayer stones, monasteries and worshipers. I could not help but take pictures.”

Since then, Jiang has returned to Tibet nearly 30 times. At first, he looked for different or novel scenes on the plateau, and his photos captured the mysterious and artistic aspects of the land and locals. After becoming more acquainted with some Tibetan people and eating and sleeping with them, his views about the region and people changed.

“We are not so different,” he asserts. “We just live in different places and practice slightly different religion and customs, but we share the same emotions and feelings such as aspirations for a better life and love for families. Tibetan people also have a secular life.” Gradually, Jiang moved on from shooting things that were “different” and started using his camera to record genuine Tibetan people and their lives. “I was moved more by the humanity of the region and its people than by their devotion.”

Considering his outstanding performance, the Tibet Federation of Literary and Art Circles entrusted Jiang to shoot wall paintings in ancient monasteries, Mani stone carvings and folk arts as part of a drive to better protect them through the creation of digital materials. Consequently, Jiang has visited almost all the ancient monasteries in Tibet and has photographed frescos and thangkas dating back to the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties painted by Nepalese and Chinese (both Tibetan and Han) artists. “Enduring altitude stress, I climbed up and down ladders and worked in old dim and chilly monasteries,” recalls Jiang. “Those exquisite paintings have weathered several hundred years, and some are decaying, so documenting them was an urgent task. I was happy to contribute what I could.”

Above and beyond shooting relics, Jiang has endeavored to display them to the public. In recent years, he introduced the idea of “conceptual photography” using photographs he has shot in Tibet over last three decades to create three-dimensional effects with the help of digital technology.

“Often, I pair portraits of Tibetan people with a fresco or thangka to offer a glimpse into natives’ spiritual life and the peaceful Buddhist world,” explains Jiang. “I hope my work draws more attention to the protection of Tibet’s traditional cultures of both great artistic and religious value.” Attention is just what Jiang’s efforts produce: His acclaimed prints have been purchased by many collectors from both home and abroad. He attributes his achievements to his subject and its people. “I am thankful for Tibet and thankful for Tibetan people.”