Chinese Photographer LI Jie wined the golden peacock jury prize by work named At Sea.
No raging waves but simple lives,
No frightening turbulences but day-to-day routines.
As ordinary as it seems to be,
Overwhelming warmth is the very first thing that comes to me.
This is how I feel about people at sea.
Travelling in 2009, I came across these people living their entire lives at sea. Where are they from? from which ethnic group? What is the name of the sea? None of these questions matters. My heart is simply touched by their choice of life, as well as their attitudes . I followed with seven visits, during which time I was not just an outside observer. Back to city, looking around, I feel like I never left the sea. Maybe it is time to ask:
Aren’t we the same as people at sea? Aren’t we ourselves living at sea? What shall I choose then, in the sea of desire?
LI Jie (Translated by Li Yuanjin)
