Yang Weifeng
- Anna Lilli Garai
- Aug 12
- 5 min read
Yang Weifeng is a photographer based in Hebei who spent many years working in oilfields while documenting life around him. His recent project “Heaven and Earth: The Hexi Corridor” looks at how people live with the land in quiet and often harsh environments. He focuses on small details that hold meaning within wide, open landscapes. His images show care, strength and a strong sense of place. Walking, observing and returning to the same areas over time are all part of how he works. His photographs reflect on belonging, memory and everyday connection to nature.
Q: You have been dedicated to photographing industrial and humanistic subjects for more than 20 years. What made you turn to a deeper exploration of social themes?
A: I worked on drilling crews in the oilfields for more than ten years, and while working, I used photography to document the labor scenes of oil workers. Later, I transferred to the oilfield newspaper as a photojournalist, where I began to explore a more poetic way of expressing the oilfield landscapes imbued with a sense of warmth. By 2023, I had gradually stepped beyond the framework of oil-related photography, turning my lens to the Hexi Corridor to engage with social issues through the language of contemporary photography.
I have always believed that photography should not be confined to a single subject. I am driven by a desire to break through limitations and seek new territories of expression. A hundred repeated successes can never compare to a single failed attempt. Only by constantly trying new approaches can I expand my perspective and push the boundaries of what I know, making the path of artistic creation broader and allowing my way of expressing and presenting to become more relaxed and free.
Q: In “Heaven and Earth: The Hexi Corridor” you spent nearly a year traveling through northwest China. What first pulled you to this region?
A: What first drew me to the Hexi Corridor was its unparalleled historical depth and unique geographic culture. This is a crossroads of four great civilizations, a place that has witnessed the exchanges and collisions between East and West, and the strategic artery of the ancient Silk Road. It carries the distinctive historical memory and spiritual codes of Chinese civilization.
Geographically, its natural landscapes are incredibly diverse—deserts, mountains, oases, and gravel plains—each imbued with a quiet vitality.
I had the feeling that they had been waiting for me for a thousand years, as if calling me to arrive. This mysterious pull compelled me to decisively shift from industrial photography to a deeper exploration of the Hexi Corridor, hoping to use my lens to reveal the unique allure and character of this extraordinary land.
Q: In these expansive scenes, there are also subtle details—trees, fields, and the backs of people. Why did you choose to present these quiet moments?
A: In these expansive scenes, I chose to present these quiet moments mainly to convey a sense of restrained and profound emotion. Details such as trees, fields, and the backs of people may appear ordinary, but they contain rich feelings and stories.
The trees symbolize tenacious vitality; even when growing in arid and barren soil, they remain unyielding and strive upward. The fields are witnesses to the interaction between humans and nature, showing both the nurturing power of the land and humanity’s dependence on it. The backs of people leave more room for imagination and protect the dignity of those being photographed. The attitude revealed in their backs—endurance, resilience, striving, and hope—is a true reflection of everyday life and embodies one of the core aspects of the Chinese national spirit.
Through these quiet moments, I hope viewers can slow down and feel the emotions and spiritual depth behind the images, prompting reflection on the relationship between people and nature, and between people and the land. Moreover, by adopting expansive scenes, I wanted to evoke a certain atmosphere: the broader the landscape, the greater the hidden sense of hope.
Q: You talk about the tension and harmony between people and the land. How did you feel that in your own body as you moved through the corridor?
A: During my journey across the Hexi Corridor, I profoundly felt on a physical level the close and complex relationship between humans and nature. When I walked across the vast Gobi Desert, the scorching sun and the blowing sand made me viscerally experience the immense power and harshness of nature. Yet when I stepped into the oases and saw people working diligently on this land, cultivating and living by relying on limited water resources, I also felt humanity’s resilience and deep attachment to the land. This land both nurtures life and brings challenges. Every step forward felt like a dialogue with the land itself. I could sense its breath and pulse, and also the difficulty of human survival here. For example, in the arid regions, people must expend tremendous effort just to secure water, which made me deeply aware of the mutual dependence and constraints between humans and nature. These physical experiences further deepened my understanding of the tension and harmony that define the relationship between people and the land.
Q: Compassion and reverence seem central to your work. Where does that way of seeing come from for you?
A: This compassionate and reverent way of observing is, on the one hand, rooted in my respect for nature and life. The natural landscapes of the Hexi Corridor are vast and majestic, containing an inexhaustible vitality. Whether it is the plants that grow tenaciously or the people who survive in such harsh conditions, they all inspire a sense of awe in me.
On the other hand, during the process of photographing, I witnessed the challenges and hardships faced by people living on this land—how drought, sandstorms, and other natural disasters impact their lives, and how traditional ways of living are being transformed under the pressure of urbanization. These realities stirred in me a deep sense of compassion for human destiny.
At the same time, the traditional Chinese cultural values of reverence for heaven and earth and compassion for all living beings have also profoundly influenced me. These ideas naturally infuse my work with feelings of compassion and respect. Through my images, I hope to awaken in people a renewed respect and care for nature and life itself.
Q: Looking back, what stayed with you most from the “Heaven and Earth” journey?
A: Looking back on my journey creating “Heaven and Earth: The Hexi Corridor,” what remains most unforgettable to me are the moments spent with the local people. Everyone I encountered welcomed me with genuine warmth and sincerity.
Their lives, though simple, were filled with a deep love for the land and a sense of hope for life. I remember, in a small village, an elderly man invited me into his home as a guest. He shared stories of a lifetime spent alongside the land, and in his eyes, I could see his profound attachment to it.
And there were those working in the fields—their tireless labor and the resilience and optimism reflected in their movements deeply moved me.
These sincere human connections, and the deep feelings the people held for their land, became the most precious memories of my journey. They also gave me a more profound understanding of the spirit that lives within this land.
