While photographer Alan Jiang has traveled to more than 100 countries around the world, his artistic roots lie in a deep feeling for the cultural and historical traditions of China. His photography thus naturally exudes the characteristics and feelings native to the Chinese people, along with subtle suggestions of Eastern philosophy and poetry lying just beneath the surface. The exciting works included in this exhibition include photographs of the shadowy mountains of Guilin, evoking a Chinese ink-wash style, expansive vistas of terraced fields, and landscapes of deep autumn and winter with mist and willows.

Much photography is typically for documentary purposes, or captures human or landscape subjects with technical precision, but without much artistry. In his personal and artistic mindset, however, Alan Jiang is a follower of the Tao, which finds a reflection in the highly artistic quality of his work; this relates less to the subjects of his portraiture or landscape photography and more to the artist's personal cultivation and breadth of vision. Photography is without doubt a medium for artistic expression, and as such, it too requires aesthetic discrimination and awareness, a faculty that is nurtured through appreciation of music, theater, dance, literature, and philosophy. Ultimately, if technique or documenting well-known scenic spots is the only concern, one is only a commercial trade photographer.

The photographic art of Alan Jiang is an eye-opening experience. His completely fresh visual approach and his Eastern way of conceiving the photograph make us more aware of the difference between art and ordinary landscape photography. Jiang is not merely a follower of tradition, however, but a creator with a distinctive style whose works immerse us in a moving world of Chinese imagery.