‘Opera portrait, Beijing (2015)’ from the series Opera by Kiki Xue, chosen for the cover of the October-December 2025 issue of the RPS Journal
When photographer Kiki Xue shot a series of images illuminating the traditional artform of Beijing opera, it was for the pages of the fashion magazine Harpers Bazaar China.
Now, a portrait from the 2015 series features alongside the work of more than 50 other internationally recognised photographers in a striking anthology celebrating the world of birds.
Aviary: the Bird in Contemporary Photography showcases photography from across the genres of art, documentary, fashion, portraiture, ornithology and wildlife. Besides Xue, the line-up includes Tim Walker, Søren Solkær and RPS Honorary Fellows Karen Knorr, Tim Flach and Nadav Kander.
In his project Opera, Xue honours an artform dating to the 18th century and involving speech, song, dance and combat movements. Exquisite costumes used in traditional performances are worn by models in Xue’s images, which fuse fashion and art.
In one portrait, chosen for the cover of the RPS Journal, Chinese model Wangy Xinyu wears a headpiece with delicate bird feathers exploding from it.
Xue, who was born in the Chinese city of Chengdu and now lives in Paris, explains how his portraiture is influenced by art.
“I love designing photographic portraits, in much the same way I would approach painting,” he says. “To me, photography is a process of deconstruction, reconstruction closer to my mind, and then solidifying the emotion through my camera.
“Like the feather hat in ‘Opera portrait, Beijing (2015)’, it’s delicate and mysterious. For a moment, it seems that I am watching the model through the lens, and she also watches me secretly. Through the camera we study each other, and she expresses subtle emotions. This mechanical movement connects us, not only physically but physiologically and spiritually.”
He adds, “Everyone has their own fantasies about Beijing opera, as well as their own ways of expressing it. Through portrait design I blend a sense of humour, character emotion and the serenity of still life painting, merging the depth of portraiture, the straightforwardness of modern photography and the humour and deconstruction of contemporary art into a single moment.
“My series of opera portraits is an attempt to explore a universal language – the fusion of Eastern and Western art, the collision of ancient and modern – seeking a balance within the great art of Beijing opera.”
Discover Xue’s portrait along with the work of eight other top photographers in the October-December 2025 issue of the RPS Journal.
All images from the series Opera, 2015 by Kiki Xue
Aviary: the Bird in Contemporary Photography by Danáe Panchaud and William A Ewing is published by Thames and Hudson at £50
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