Eduardo Akins

SPACES / ПРОСТОРИ / 空间

I am a self-taught freelance photographer based in Beijing; however, I am currently employed in the field of international education, where authentic connections and social interaction are crucial to having successful and rewarding experiences in my career. Therefore, it has been a natural approach to focus on finding a human element in my photography. For most of the past decade, I have utilized analog film cameras; they leave behind a relatively permanent artifact of a fleeting moment and they have helped me to be more aware of my subject and the space in which it exists.

The photos in this series, taken in various locations in China from 2015 to 2019, portray lives in present day China—perhaps not necessarily lives we might envision based on what we imagine the Middle Kingdom, but it is the China that I have experienced—and the correlation between its inhabitants and their surroundings.

Themes of longevity, spirituality, ability, creativity, productivity and tranquility all resonate with Chinese culture, and, while maintaining unity to the idea of people and spaces, I wanted to provide images that hold these particular themes to heart. These images can by no means fully express the realities of China and the people living here. Hopefully, they pique your curiosity to discover other foreign lands, not only this country, and allow yourself to be immersed in spaces that widen your view of not only what you perceive, but also how you make sense of your own place in the world.

—Eduardo Akins, July 2019

​

If you win an auction for one of these photos at the Meduza Café, please send me a message via my Svratiste za decu in Belgrade.)