interview | shanghai-based shooter FAN SHISAN’s “2 OF US,” a photo series capturing single child policy generationals & their alter egos ///

Fan Shisan is originally from Sichuan province but currently lives and works in Shanghai. Over the past few years, Shisan has established himself as a “one to watch” photo- and videographer in the local creative scene. His work being exhibited several times recently, including at: “Caochangdi-Arles Photospring,” Caochangdi Beijing, 2010; “Personal Chat,” Cetus Gallery, Shanghai, 2009; “City Photo,” Shanghai, 2008; “Xu Wei, Story, Us,” Caochangdi Beijing, 2008; “Beijing Faces,” Today Art Museum, Beijing, 2008. Beyond his personal pieces, Shisan also has done a variety of stellar commercial work for clients like Converse, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, Heyan, and Shanghai Weekly.

In his ongoing photography series “2 of Us,” Fan Shisan characterizes the effects of China’s one-child policy on the identity formation of young Chinese people. He suggests that the “concept of self” of kids born after 1980 has developed differently compared to that of earlier generations. Noting of his generation, he says he and his peers tend to integrate alter-egos into their lives as a substitute for the siblings they never had.

Using double-exposures for his “2 of Us” series, Shisan stages young people together with their imaginary reflections. Unfortunately, the constant companionship of young people’s alternate selves often emphasizes their longing for a close sibling. Shisan illustrates these feelings of separation and loneliness, as the two characters in the images never seem to be able to communicate.

We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Shisan, who explained to us why he is interested in portraying his generation this way. Shisan also gave us some insight into the relationship he has with his own alter ego. Throughout the interview, we’ve also shared some of our favorites from the series. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

For more from Fan Shi San on NeochaEDGE, link here.

For more photography on NeochaEDGE, link here. /// Jellyfish

I started “2 of Us, Portrait of the Single-Child” in 2009. I photograph people who grew up as an only child in China together with their imaginary alter-ego. The “single-child” policy in China restricts the number of children a married urban couple can have to one. In fact, most children born after 1980 in China, including myself, are only children with no siblings. The absence of siblings has left a deep imprint on my generation’s identity, and I want to show how the effects of that imprint have manifested in my peers.

As a consequence of me being an only child, I have always felt “innerly confused.” I felt like my body is actually home to two people. I sometimes feel like having a dialogue with “the other self” inside me; I have even given him a name. I call him “Tree” (shu, 树). Every time I make a decision in my life, Tree says to me: “Have you thought this through? Are you Sure?” When I’m sitting at my desk staring out the window, he asks me: “What are you thinking about?” I say to him: “Nothing, don’t bother me, I’m not thinking of anything at all.” Tree sits on my chair, on my bed, he stands right across from me…asking me all sorts of questions. Only in my daydreams does he actually appear together with me, both visible. At all other times he’s resides in my head and in my heart. He’s a mirror image of me that I’ve somehow manufactured.

When I decided to shoot portraits of coevals, I felt that I couldn’t disregard my generation’s “one-child” character. When young people feel “the other self” exists, it’s because they’ve always felt alone. Each and every day of our lives has added to this feeling – this is all a product of our growing up. This is just an issue I want to talk about in my work.

When I discovered the double-exposure and compositing method, I knew this was the medium I was looking for. This was what I needed to record the feeling of only children in China.

I started this series in part because I wanted a long-term project, something I could work on for a few years, maybe 2 or 3. When I started, I wasn’t really sure if I’d actually carry it on for that long, but up to now, it’s been almost a year and a half. I’m thinking about separating the series into two parts, one focused on Shanghai post-80 generation kids and the other part focused on post-80s around the country. The Shanghai part is done, I now want to focus on the second half. I’ll shoot out west, up north, down south, everywhere. Then it will be done.

Well, they are not models – I would never call them that. They are just people, my peers. We are sharing a moment in portrait. What we are doing is a lot different than the relationship between just a random model and a shooter. That relationship is work, not expression, and is simply not as mutually respectful as the relationship I share with my peers through this series.

At first I just looked for willing participants on Douban. I try to only work with strangers, because that lack of familiarity results in a more authentic creation process and final photo. Familiarity tends to ruin things. I like peers with a strong individualistic character that shines through.

The cameras I use aren’t that important to me.