Ian Teh. Dark Clouds

Photographer Ian Teh, who was born in Malaysia in 1971, has been travelling around China for over ten years photographing people and landscapes in remarkable ways. Moved by the richly visual expressiveness of China’s rampantly growing economy, Teh was one of the first foreign photographers to record the dark side of China’s progress, long before a host of other photographers began to follow his example. In a harmonious combination of colour and light, he creates serene images that purposely put the viewer on the wrong footing. On closer inspection, the wide, veined landscapes turn out to be industrial landscapes. Teh depicts the roots of this economic wonder in a mix of earth, sweat and smoke. The Kunsthal is exhibiting part of Teh’s series ‘Dark Clouds’ and ‘Traces’, for which he took photographs in various Chinese provinces.

Ian Teh
Dark Clouds