It was such a pleasure having Hailun Ma visit the gallery last week and speak to us about her work! Hailun Ma’s artworks can be seen across Level 1 of our current exhibition, I Am the People.

Hailun Ma’s creative works open a new window for the viewers to approach Xinjiang and help them understand this region in a new perspective. Hailun Ma returned to Xinjiang in 2018 after living and studying in New York since 2013. She decided to use her lens to record the beautiful ‘hometown’ from her memory. With the help of her family, Hailun visited many villages around Kashgar, Akqi, and Xayar. Hailun has captured the unique yet easily overlooked experiences of the multi-ethnic compact lives in Xinjiang through her lens and presented the photos in a beautiful and respectful way.

HAILUN MA 马海伦, The Girl on the Sixth Floor, 2022, wool rug, 136 x 200cm