2020.12.27

 

 

In the afternoon of December 27th, Ma Hailun feasted our eyes with the beautiful Xinjiang aesthetics. Ma Hailun, a native of Urumqi, Xingjiang, went to School of Visual Arts in New York to study photography and fashion photography at 18. However, she gradually noticed the feeling of disconnection towards the "fashion" she studied in New York. After rebelliously requesting a leave of absence from school, she returned to her hometown with a bag of clothes.

When she returned to China in 2018, Mai Hailun created her first series in Xinjiang. She gradually found her language of photography in the process of travelling and shooting. She spoke about wanting to shoot fashion in her way and redefining the Xinjiang fashion aesthetic with the influence of her childhood fashion experience. But also keep in mind, the collective memory Xinjiang girls have like applying henna on their nails. And their common features like long lashes and unibrows have all been incorporated into her vision and narrative.