Since the 1990s, China has been involved in a process of high-speed urbanization which has been changing the appearance of both large and small cities. Cities have been characterized by continuous phases of destruction and construction, and they have been expanding. There exists a huge difference between the gradually declining small-scale peasant economy and the material and cultural development of modern cities. This results in the fact that an increasing number of rural workers leave the countryside to move to the city, to migrate and thus become a topic of interest for many people, being migrant workers.

Most of them live on the fringes of society, in those places on the borderline between the countryside and the city. Because of their mindset, living conditions, and income, it is very hard for them to survive in the city. But paradoxically they are charged with the whole responsibility to build the new cityscape. This has given birth to a kind of ambiguous and
contradictory “love and hate” relationship existing between migrant workers and the city.

In 2006, artist Lang Xiaoqi started to focus on fringe dwellers. Since then, she has been using a realistic technique and reportage-like style to capture their lives in her paintings. In this body of works, the artist doesn't portray the single individual part of this group of fringe dwellers. In most of the cases she creates strong juxtapositions, bringing together subjects in sharp contrast. For example, she combines images of high-rise buildings with images of the gloomy and rudimentary dormitories where the workers reside; images of architectural remains and scavengers, with massive and crowded buildings; she even portrays the moment a conflict between the police and some troublemakers sparkles. These elements are highly representative of contemporary Chinese cities in rapid expansion.

In comparison to the works of other artists focusing on the same topic, Lang Xiaoqi's works deliberately don't emphasize the color quality. Therefore her palette is mainly made of light grey, a colour which is intended to emphasize the objective aspect of what is portrayed. The viewers' perception of time and space become illusory. So, viewers cannot do but see these works from a broader perspective.

From the active notion of "revolution" to the passive concept of "reformation", people have been trying hard -to remold reality. The process of urbanization today is overwhelming, and leading to the disintegration of agricultural economy and to the dispersion of the huge land labor force “entering the city." We cannot stop the coming of a new era which touches upon everyone.

Under these circumstances, we are caught unprepared with anxieties and despair.