A famous Chinese fashion photographer has apologized for her past work after online critics called it an insult to the Chinese people and fashion house Dior deleted one of the photos. her from a show in Shanghai.
Chen Man acknowledges criticism of her earlier work, which includes “Young Pioneers,” a series of images of a young model against a backdrop of major landmarks like China’s giant Three Gorges Dam. or with the image of the country’s first lunar orbiter flying out from underneath her skirt.
Criticisms have been reported by state ownership Global Times The newspaper said that comments on social media called her work “underground child pornography and insults to young pioneers”, the name of a youth organization affiliated with the Communist Party. .
“I reflected deeply and blamed myself for my naivety and ignorance at that time. I think I still have to officially apologize to everyone,” Chen wrote this week on his social media account.
“I am Chinese, born and raised, I love my hometown very much,” she wrote. “And I know, deeply, as an artist, that I have a responsibility to the mission of documenting and spreading the culture of the Chinese people.”
.@DiorThe move to remove the work of local photographer Chen Man as part of an art exhibition (as some netizens were annoyed by the way it didn’t fit their beauty standards) further shows : Any products of foreign brands will be evaluated and scrutinized by the masses in China. pic.twitter.com/nxGjGEZ7IJ
– Yaling Jiang (@yaling_jiang) November 24, 2021
She along with many Chinese and foreign celebrities, brands and artists have issued a public apology following criticism of their work in state media. Some were ostracized for refusing to apologize or if an apology was deemed insufficient.
Chen’s apology comes more than a week after Dior was attacked for a photo at its Shanghai show that showed a model of Asian descent with tan skin, freckles and dark eyelids. black holding a Dior purse.
Critics say the photo is contrary to Asian beauty standards for fair skin, and argue that it perpetuates Western stereotypes about Asian faces, such as slanted eyes.
At least one photo editor has praised her work in the past for creating an aesthetic that neither Western nor Japanese and Korean magazines adopt. And in 2019, Global Times Chen described China’s response to US photographer Annie Leibovitz, calling her a “bright star” with a unique perspective.
Dior removed the photo, adding that it was part of an art project and not an advertisement. In a statement on its Chinese social media account, Dior said it “respects the feelings of the Chinese people” and “strictly follows China’s laws and regulations”.
Other luxury brands have previously been embroiled in controversies in China. In 2018, a Dolce & Gabbana commercial caused public outrage after the Asian model in the ad was instructed to eat pasta, cannolis and pizza with a pair of chopsticks. The videos were later removed.
Chen’s social media post said she accepts criticism of her work, including work by a certain brand, but did not elaborate on Dior.
The photo taken from the Shanghai exhibition was taken in a similar style to a series of covers that Chen did for the British fashion magazine. I there are 12 young Chinese women from different ethnic minorities. Many women don’t fit what has become the common definition of beauty in China – some have small eyes and others have freckles.
Ding Yining, a photo editor at Friday Melodies, praised Chen’s work in a 2018 article on the state-backed English feature website.
Ding writes: “From her work, it seems that Chen prefers women with narrow eyes, monolids and a sense of traditional Asian elegance.”
Chen said to Friday Melodies that “as a professional visual artist, I believe I should help more people recognize the face of modern Chinese beauty with more confidence.”
