Xiangjie Peng: The Rise of Queer Underground Party Culture in China

The Chinese photographer grew up during the height of China’s Cultural Revolution (1966 – 1976), in a city defined by the aerospace industry. Unchallenged by his job in aircraft manufacturing, he became a self-taught photographer, which he saw as a subtle antidote to the manipulation of the state-controlled media.

“I longed for the outside world since my childhood,” Xiangjie Peng admits. His youth was dominated by Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, a political and social campaign that brought profound changes to Chinese culture and society. The aim was to eradicate “bourgeois” and “counter-revolutionary” elements from society and preserve a “pure communist doctrine”. The impact on society was massive – and to this day continues to be felt in many different ways. In the Deng Xiaoping era that followed, China entered an initial stage of reform and opening up, and the brutal years of the Cultural Revolution came to an end. This gave way to a more generally relaxed feeling and, subsequently, to some liberation from rules and individualisation.

While photography was more of a hobby for Peng at first – in the 1980s at a time when cameras were considered a luxury item in Chine –, in 1993 he began working as a commercial photographer, developing image campaigns for the marketing department of an aerospace company. “When I first started my personal photography, I was quite confused since the medium in China was still at a relatively elementary stage,” he remembers. “However, there was a group of photographers in Xi’an [Peng’s home town – ed. note] called the Shaanxi Photography Group, which was very pioneering and influential in Chinese photography at that time. Their promotion of documentary photography within the context of China’s reality was a powerful shock and inspiration to me.” It is not easy for Peng to practice his profession, because Chinese society is subject to strong government controls. “The realities of Chinese society differ significantly from those of other countries worldwide. In terms of political ideology, my country remains in a socialist-communist developmental phase,” he explains. “Here, subcultures have always been non-mainstream phenomena that are not even encouraged, as the dominant culture continues to promote and uphold values rooted in “red genes”. You might find it hard to believe that many subjects I focus on in my photography lack platforms for publication or exhibition here, with some even being prohibited. In such a social environment, maintaining faith in self-defined spiritual values becomes an extremely important source of conviction. Yet I believe that through the act of photography, I document the current state of non-mainstream groups and subcultures in this era in China. This alone constitutes the value and meaning of my existence. This conviction requires me to live and photograph with utmost caution.” 

Peng has now been working as a photographer for over 30 years. He reveals that the medium has become a multifaceted reflection of his life experiences: “China is a rapidly changing country, and photography takes me to places that still feel like dreams, an experience that blends the past with the present. This photographic journey has allowed me to lead a wonderful life.”

Xiangjie Peng’s series was submitted by Shi Hantao, who is one of this year’s group of international LOBA nominators.