The Chairman and I

A quick last minute plug for an event that (no thanks to Chinese Customs) nearly never happened – the Shanghai launch of Andre Eichman’s photo book The Chairman and I. Hong Kong-based photographer Andre has spent years (six in total) travelling around China shooting pictures of all manner of different people posed with his statue of Chairman Mao. The result is a great collection of photographs that capture everyday China in all its variety. I must confess an interest having known Andre for a long time and having inadvertently been present at the conception of the book in a bar late one summer night on a Shanghai back street. And so finally the book has arrived – 155 pages and a limited edition. You can see images from the book and some of the stories behind the people and the process by clicking here.

If you happen to be in Shanghai Andre is showing some of the pictures at Southern Barbarian (2nd floor, 169 Jinxian Lu) and launching them this Sunday between 3pm and 6pm along with some beer and Yunnan food on the house. Do come along if you’re interested.

The Exhibition continues through to February at the South Barbarian I think