Sarah Mei Herman — Untitled, Xiamen 2015

Untitled, Xiamen 2015
Special edition by Sarah Mei Herman

Analogue colour print
Image size: 20 x 28 cm
Edition of 20
Signed / numbered in verso

€ 325,- unframed
€ 425,- framed (on request)

This special edition by Sarah Mei Herman is from her series Touch, made in the Chinese city-island Xiamen. Sarah Mei was focused on the universally recognizable themes such as the meaning of friendship and love, rather than seeking out cultural differences. The artist photographed several young adults, primarily women, and their intimate relationships. The models were found on the streets of Xiamen and at the Xiamen University campus.

Many of the young women that Herman met were in lesbian relationships. Despite the fact that gay-sexuality is no longer illegal in China, it is still unaccepted by the older generations. None of the young women in the photographs are able to speak openly to their parents about their sexual preferences. This presents a remarkable contradiction in the fast-changing modern China. The still life images from the female dormitory of the Xiamen University capture this hidden and secret female universe.