The Yellow River supplies water to one hundred million people, 190 million hectares of farmland, and thousands of factories in northern China. The historical importance of this river is what drew Kechun to document the life along this majestic natural landmark. To have been born and raised in Chengdu, in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, offered him an outsider perspective that turned out to be an advantage.

Known as the subtle provocateur, in Zhang’s photographs, the sky, river, and earth are perfectly blended in a calm palette of yellowish and grey tones, adding a calm and alluring touch. Slightly saturated details sometimes highlight unexpected appearances in abandoned places, offering poetic and almost surreal nuances to the shot. The impact of man on changing landscapes, which strangely coexist with the nostalgic and static image of the great river. “My aim is to create a modern point of contact for our contemporary and sociologically concerned eye”, says Zhang Kechun.