Kyushu Sangyo University Graduate School of Fine Arts Photo Exhibition "On the Road" (2021)
Li Ruoqi (b. 1996) is a photographer from China currently living and working in Fukuoka, Japan. His work primarily focuses on social landscapes and consumer culture. During his undergraduate studies in journalism, he gradually embarked on a career in art due to his sustained interest in New Topographies. In 2019, he enrolled in Kyushu Sangyo University in Japan to pursue a master's degree in photography. Since 2020, Ruoqi has been creating art centered around the social landscapes and culture of the Kyushu region in Japan. "Cycles" and "repetition" are the keywords that inform his works, including "Our Work Is Never Over" and "Monument Road." Ruoqi's creative process often involves utilizing images and text to construct fictional narratives. His preferred medium for presenting his work is through photobooks, and he continuously explores the possibilities of creating more photobooks.
- 2023
- Hangzhou Artisan Photobooks Biennale Shortlist
- 2022
- Nominated for the Second Fugensha Photography Awards
Imagingless Dummy Photobook Awards Shortlist
"Imageless Dummy Photobook Awards Exhibition",
Icicle Space, Shanghai
- 2022
- "Book's Theatre", Ma Liang Studio, Shanghai
- 2021
- Kyushu Sangyo University Graduate School of Fine Arts Photo Exhibition
"On the Road", Sony Imaging Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- 2019
- "Island Exhibition", Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan
"Vision", Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan
Standing on the rocky shore, I watch the sea as it ebbs and flows, and gradually submerges the surrounding rocks.
I often came to this beach and could hear the ocean rumbling from the hillside and the hazy sunset seemed to soothe the shortness of breath it cost me to get here. Along the coast, inlets, sandy coves and pine trees dot the natural landscape like chess pieces.
They are like "isolated islands" separated by As I wandered along the coastline visiting such "isolated islands”, I became increasingly enamored with the afternoon sun reflecting off the ocean and dazzling the surface of the water. I would walk until sunset,but could never reach the deep and distant hills.
People who live by the sea are probably happy, but, for me, it is a joy to see nature. Blown by the winds since ancient times, the dunes here have receded allowing the remnants of those long ago to be swallowed by the sea. Thousands of years ago, I wonder if there were people who roamed similar shores and gazed at the sea as I did.
Standing on the shore, I see that the water has not receded and there is only a flickering light on the horizon.