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Hi, Reader!

Welcome back to my newsletter! In this issue, I have something exciting to share with you.

Gold from Budapest

​Budapest International Foto Awards announced the winners of 2025 competition. My work Passing By No.5 won the Gold medal in the Fine Art/Collage category. Photo series Four Seasons on Plates received a Bronze in the Fine Art/Still Life category. I am honored to be among the brilliant photographers to be recognized in this world-renowned photo competition.

Touching

A few weeks ago at a show, I was looking at my phone when my wife murmured, "Someone is crying." I looked up and saw two women standing by the print bin. The younger one was wiping tears from her eyes. I picked up a tissue, walked over, and handed it over to her without asking anything: any word felt unnecessary in that moment. They said thank you, and left.

Later, they returned and happily picked up a print of Homage to Rothko No.1 , thanking me again for the tissue. I thank them more for their appreciation of my work, and for the moving moment they'd given me. Over the past few shows, several people moved to tears by my work. Perhaps it's because we are living in a turbulent time, and people are more sensitive to the peacefulness they perceive. I always hope people can see the earnestness in my work. They are reaching out for soulful connections. No word describes this experience better than the word of Touching.

A Book

I looked it up, the creation of the project folder was on June 13, 2024. After 17 months, I finally see its fruition: a beautiful book featuring 50 images selected from tens of thousands, spanning 5 years and 6 countries. A photo book is, in many ways, different than a single print or a photo series. It involves careful categorizing and sequencing to build an experience similar to watching a movie narrative unfold. I have spent many hours to ensure the chemistry and subtlety on every page for enduring viewing pleasure. It's a book worth revisiting from time to time.

The book is by no means a "best of" album. It centers around one concept: Juxtaposition. The three chapters each focus on one, two, and three subjects, summarizing my unique approach to minimalism: the poetry between the few subjects. By putting seemly unrelated subjects into one frame, magic happens.

Overall, the selection leans toward a warmer tone, echoing my own journey of healing from the distress and trauma of the pandemic. I aim to deliver a positive energy through the images, which is why it is named "a small number, but larger than zero".

I only want to present the book in its best possible form. It is printed by the same printing lab that produces my large-format prints. Sized at 10.6" × 8.1", with a linen hardcover, 328 g/m² Fuji Crystal Archive Lustre paper, and lay-flat design, it is a beautiful work of art in itself.

There are only 99 copies in this Founder’s Edition. Each one, numbered and signed, is a souvenir, or a small monument of celebration of my photography journey, made possible by the support from you. In that sense, every owner of this edition becomes a founder of something larger, sharing in the story, just as I have.

The pre-order link is here. The retail price is $225. Please use your exclusive discount code FOUNDER to receive the special price of $199. The pre-order phase ends on Nov 25, and I expect to ship the book before Christmas.

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An Exhibition

I am thrilled to announce that my sophomore solo exhibition will be on display from December 1–30 at Gertrude G. White Gallery in YWCA Greenwich. I am grateful to Joan Carra, the gallery coordinator and curator, for her friendship and trust. The show is titled “A Small Number, but Larger Than Zero”, the same as my book. We will hold an opening reception on December 6, from 2–4 pm. I hope to see you there!

Take care, and until next time!

Sincerely,

Zili

​windinsilence.com​