Ren Shulin

Ren Shulin has been active in the Chinese photography world since the late 1970s, and he was an important member of the April Photography Society. Ren is best known for his portraits of teenagers in Beijing. In "Innocent in the 1980s," he evokes a bygone era. In the 1980s, Ren was a middle school teacher, capturing the optimism of a period of time and a stage in life. With the rapid changes that have taken place in China over the last two decades, these photographs carry a strong sense of nostalgia.

Innocent in the 1980s

A Classroom at Beijing High School No. 171, December 31, 1983

Andingmen City Moat, Beijing, December 1983

A Classroom at Beijing High School No. 171, November 1986

The Art Room at Beijing High School No. 171, May 1983

The Swimming Pool at the General Political Department, June 1985

The Playground at Beijing High School No. 171, March 1986

A Classroom at Beijing High School No. 171, July 1985

The Playground at Beijing High School No. 171, July 1980

The Playground of Beijing High School No. 171, June 1983

A Classroom in Beijing High School No. 171, December 31, 1985

The Playground at Beijing High School No. 171, September 1983

A Classroom at Beijing High School No. 171, February 1984

The Playground at Beijing High School No. 171, July 1986

The Playground at Beijing High School No. 171, November 1986

Zhuzhou High School, Hunan Province, March 1986

Tanzhe Temple in Beijing, April 1981

A Classroom at Beijing High School No. 171, September 1983

A Classroom at Beijing High School No. 171, June 1981

An Exam Room at Beijing High School No. 75 Middle School, July 8, 1980

An Arcade in Dongcheng District, Beijing, September 1983

Medium: Inkjet print on fine art paper
Dimensions: (1) 24 x 36 cm (2) 40 x 60 cm (3) 60 x 90 cm
Edition: (1) 20 (2) 15 (3) 5

Artist's Bio

Ren Shulin (b. 1954, Beijing, China)

Ren was an important member of the April Photography Society in the late 1970s.

1976 Graduated from the Beijing Broadcasting Institute (today's Communication University of China)

Solo Exhibitions:
2005 "Innocent in the 1980s" Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
2007 "Atmosphere," Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
2008 "Advanced Workers," Lianzhou Foto 2008, Lianzhou, China
2009 "Advanced Workers," Epson Imaging Gallery, Shanghai, China
2011 "Innocent in the 1980s," Inter Art Center / Gallery, Beijing, China
2010 "Female Miners," Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
2012 "42 Minutes," Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China

Group Exhibitions:
2004 Wuyi Mountain International Photography Festival, Wuyi, China
2010 "Another Landscape," Inter Art Center / Gallery, Beijing, China
2014 "Performance and Imagination: Chinese Photography 1911-2014," Stavanger Art Museum, Stavanger, Norway

Publications and Awards:
2009 Ren Shulin is named Photographer of the Year by Pixel Magazine
2010 Ren Shulin wins the Outstanding Photographer Award at the Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
2010 Ren Shulin is named Photographer of the Year by Pixel Magazine
2011 Published Innocent in the 1980s

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