Painting with light

In 2016, when attending the second International Light Art Congress in Oviedo, Spain, Wang took a walk around the old town at night. Captivated by a street scene, he started light-painting an ethereal flower with his mobile phone. The photo, entitled The Flower of Oviedo, shows it blossom under a faint yellow streetlight below a staircase. It won the special prize at the Oviedo Grand Contest.

Wang also organized the Longhushan International Light Painting Exhibition in Jiangxi province the same year.

To him, the technique has a wide application in expressing different ideas. Apart from traditional cultural elements, he has been portraying themes relevant to more-recent events, such as a series paying tribute to medical workers amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Another series, United by Light, uses images of light-painted slogans in different languages that encourage people around the world to unite and have faith in the fight against the pandemic.

Tradition will continue to be a creative force for Wang as he explores adding more Chinese elements in his works, including a new series on Lunar New Year, creating photos that have both aesthetic value and cultural meaning.