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Hi, Reader!

Welcome back to my newsletter!

Silver from Paris and more

Last year I received 2 Bronze and 5 Honorable Mentions from Paris Photo Prize. This year, one step forward-- the beloved pink one has won me a Silver! I've also won 4 Honorable Mentions for new work from Greece, Japan, Mianus River and Tod's Point.

Results from a few other competitions:

• Exposure One - Bronze(Street) - "Two and Three"(Osaka, 2025)​
• Minimalist - Honorable Mention(Fine Art) - "Homage to Rothko"(Series)​
• 1839 - Honorable Mention(Still Life) - "Four Seasons on Plates"(Series)​

It is an honor to be among the brilliant photographers and I thank the judges for recognizing my work.

The show season is coming to an end

I am still recovering from the dizziness of overwhelming enthusiasm received last weekend in Armonk. For the first time, I felt I might need to hire an assistant to help with the orders. I thank all the old friends who came to visit me, and also the many new friends for your support and the meaningful conversations we had.

There were some memories from these two days I will cherish forever, especially when someone was moved to tears seeing my work. The moments when we share a sense of wonder, relief, and revelation are the very reasons why I love this job so much.

2025 show season is coming to an end. I still have 3 shows to go in October: 4-5, Old Saybrook; 11-12, Bruce Museum and 18-19, Brookdale Park. Among them, the Bruce Museum show has a special place in my heart. It may be small in scale, but it gathers an exceptional range of fine art—purely art, without craft. It’s in my town, right next to the beautiful Bruce Park where I’ve spent so much time.

If you have something lingering in your mind or want to see my new work in person, I welcome you to visit me at one of these shows.

My last show this year will be at a completely new kind of venue for me: The Other Art Fair in Brooklyn. It is a 4-day indoor show from Nov 6 to 9 at Zerospace. It was not easy to get accepted -- I tried twice. This series of shows, including Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Sydney, has won a good reputation among collectors with the high-quality and variety of art. I am very excited to be a part of it. I will be sending out complimentary tickets as the show approaches.

The Story Continues - Chong Qing Jungle(Part Two)

Let's continue with the story. For those who missed the first part, the link is here.

I went to Chong Qing to visit two of my closest friends. They have homes both in Beijing and Chong Qing, living a kind of twin-city life. The Chong Qing apartment is in an upscale community with beautiful gardens. The husband spent months and a fortune on renovations, and the wife decorated it with fine antique furniture and art.

As a generation that rode on the momentum of a golden age, we all benefited from the opening and reforms of the last 30 years. Real estate is a symbol of wealth, and the Chinese are famous for converting earnings into even more property in what seems an endless cycle. A few years ago, at a feast, I suddenly realized that almost everyone at the table owned at least 3 units. I couldn't help but wonder—who do they sell to? It was not coincidence that the bubble eventually burst: the largest home builder went bankrupt, followed by numerous smaller ones, left home buyers with ghost buildings everywhere.

My friends are different. They bought the Chonq Qing home to actually live in, not for speculation. For the wife, Chong Qing is her hometown and where her mother lives. Like me, or countless others who have built a life in the capital, we all have hometowns elsewhere, out in the country. When we were young, we swore we would leave for good—but years later, we returned for homesickness, familiar food, or someone we care about and cannot leave behind.

Surprisingly, and against some forecasts, the crash of the real estate market did not evolve into a full-blown financial crisis. Despite the omnipresent slowdown and waves of layoffs, life continues. Some friends who lost their jobs during the withdrawal of international institutions have recently found new jobs elsewhere. They have suffered, but nevertheless survived.

This wraps up this episode of my report to you. I hope the story offers you some insight. Enjoy the most colorful season, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

Zili

Instagram: windinsilence​

Website: https://windinsilence.com​

Online Shop: https://shop.windinsilence.com​