Granary Floor in Tawa Village of Aba County, Sichuan Province Possibly 1963 - 2021

Niu Weiyu made this photograph, Granary Floor in Tawa Village of Aba County, Sichuan Province, with silver. It's like he's capturing not just a scene, but a whole way of life. What strikes me is how the texture and light play together. The granary's thatched roof creates a frame, almost like a curtain, with these incredible soft, blurred edges. It's all about the surface, the way the light catches on the rough textures. It is a very physical medium. The image has a tactile quality, almost like you could reach out and feel the roughness of the thatching. Look at how the figures in the background are rendered so softly, almost dissolving into the landscape. This relates to the cyclical nature of farming, of working with the land. It makes me think of Walker Evans, another artist who documented everyday life with such care and attention to detail. It’s not about perfection; it’s about the story that’s being told.