Valya Lee examines the historic relationship between Russia and China
The current series Big Little Brother by photographer Valya Lee is about the transformation of the modern world and the relationship between Russia and China.
Lee was born in a small town in the Far East of Russia, where a river separated her village and the border with China. The Chinese village on the opposite bank of the river used to have mud houses, but over time the village developed into a large city lit by bright lights. "Now one of the main attractions of my home town is to see the lights of this city in the evening," says Lee. "I studied and worked in China for some time and the idea for this project came to me after I had better understood the interfaces between Russia and China."
All pictures: Little Big Brother, Valya Lee
When speaking to older generations of Chinese, Lee often heard that Russia wasdàgē ’or’ the older brother ’who helped build their communist state. China is now the leading export destination for Russian goods and has also been the most important import partner since 2019.
Lee believes there has been some sort of role reversal between Russia and China's mutual influence, and the growing numbers of tourists who have come from China over the years is evidence of this. Now it seems like Russia is following China and almost catching up. Lee's photographs aim to explore this dialogue in a mixture of documentary and street photography, which is balanced by staged and almost garish still life images.
The street photos were taken in Moscow and St. Petersburg, mainly in the tourist traps, as Lee thought that was where the contrasts were to be found. "When I take photos on the street, I usually try to find a strange combination of two cultures, ”she says. "When I photograph still lifes, I like to combine incompatible objects from these different cultures to build something new." lee cleverly interweaves symbolism from both countries as well as an unusual amalgamation of past and present.
One picture shows a group of Chinese tourists huddling around a smartphone in front of a painting of an Orthodox icon. In another, a Matryoshka doll was painted in bright red and combined with golden Chinese tree mushrooms. Both colors are commonly associated with Chinese visual culture, but red is also a nod to communism and the Russian Revolution.
Lee likes to experiment with her images and she says the only challenge she has faced so far has been the presence of Covid-19, which limited her journey and completed the series. "I think most of the project is already done, but there are processes and events going on right now, like the pandemic, which I think should probably be reflected in my project, ”she explains.
So far, Lee has offered an alternative imagery to convey her interpretation of the ties between Russia and China. She also hopes Big Little Brother will highlight that differences are a good thing and should be considered. "Maybe it's a little trivial, but I want to say (the project) that everything is constantly changing, it's at the very core of our modern world and there's nothing to be afraid of," says Lee.
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