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Guo Jianshe: My 'China Red' Dream

Guo Jianshe loves the colour he calls “China red.”

Guo said: “I love red. In the beginning, I liked it just because the colour was beautiful. It is fresh and pure, and that is why the Chinese people like it very much.

“But it is also a symbol in the Chinese culture. Only real things and events can fully display and explain its beauty. Only in its relation with people can the colour be alive and meaningful.”

The colour’s rich meaning and intoxicating vibrancy seduced Guo. His love for red is so deep that he willingly allows it to dominate his camera’s attention. In the process he thoroughly and vividly tells the stories of the rich culture and tradition that imbue the colour with transcendent significance. 

Guo’s life is dominated by red. His favourite clothes and accessories, such as scarves and gloves, are all deep red; his home is decorated with furniture made of rosewood; and his boccaro teapot is usually filled with the red tea of Yunnan Province. As he said, where you find Guo, you will find red.

The colour’s cultural significance is constantly on Guo’s mind, because it symbolizes Chinese culture and history, which are his everlasting pursuit.

Guo is famous for his Hongse Zhongguo (“China Red” series), the name of his photo collection and the theme of his photo exhibitions, which are viewed worldwide.

“Now, when my name is mentioned, someone will say, ‘That is the man who shoots red,’” Guo said jokingly. “What makes me really happy is that ‘China Red,’ which is the theme I am fascinated with and pursuing, can be fully displayed and explained via a proper media, photos. It is a kind of visual pleasure and pride for me.

“I didn’t do it intentionally. If I were to shoot China red out of any designed conception, my photos would not be as good or as natural as they are.”

Shooting red things in China may seem an easy task; the colour is found every-where, but it’s not always as easy as it looks. To meet his high artistic require-ments, Guo may find himself waiting at the foot of Mount Yuelu in Hunan Province for a week to capture just the right moment during a sunrise. Or, he might be found suffering under a burning sun as he awaits a national flag-raising ceremony. He once ventured to wild desert lands and mesas in pursuit of his special mission.

His friend, Dao Weijie, said: “China red has merged with Guo’s blood.”

The conception of the “China Red” series began during a chat with a close friend, Liu Lei, president of the China Artistic Photography Association. Within a very short time, Guo had selected hundreds of “China Red” photos from among his stock of images. “We were shocked when we viewed the numerous red photos displayed before us. It was a powerful moment for us,” Guo said. “The contents of those photos are very rich and were shot in different years.”

Guo said he believes that no country in the world has ever adopted a colour in such a thoroughgoing way as China, where red is a symbol that gives colour to the soul of the nation.

Professional photographers know that when a person looks at an object, the colour of the object will be impressed upon a mind within a few seconds. They also know that from among a world of colours, red stands out the most; that is why its powerful presence can be found on so many magazine covers and in the media around the world.

All manner of traditional red-coloured things have captured Guo’s rapt attention: the walls of ancient palaces, the national flag, traditional paper cuts used for window decorations (chuanghua), clothes, lanterns, the pimiento and red tanghulu (sugar-coated haws on a stick). He said the red found in his photos represent peace, harmony, reunion, success, good luck, dignity, bravery, and passion. Guo insightfully engages with the cultural significance of China red, but he also refers to his life experience and thoughts in his works.

“In the past, red stood for sanctity and mystery. Even now, we adore the colour much more than we love it.”

Guo, who now serves as the art director of a cultural company in Beijing, still takes pictures often, catching his favourite “China Red” subjects. “I will not stop shooting China and ‘China Red’ until the day I can no longer take up my camera. ‘China Red’ is an eternal theme in my pictures, and I believe it is also an eternal theme for China. I am willing to devote my whole life to exploring, studying and to shooting ‘China Red,’ because it is an essential colour for us, the Chinese people.”