All images © Rian Dundon
We let out a big "hurrah" in the studio when this work from Rian Dundon came across our desks. While the project seeks to examine the culture of fame and beauty in China within the context of the country´s blossoming celebrity industry, it has plenty by way of reserves of poignancy. Titled Behind the Scenes with Fan Bing Bing, the series is the result of Dunden spending nearly year travelling with the Chinese actress and fashion icon Fan Bing Bing, photographing her world of nouveau riche celebrity privilege and its endless series of film sets, promotional events and luxury hotels. "In a China that idolises material wealth and physical beauty Fan Bing Bing represents the popular ideal," says the photographer adding; "She is one of the most sought after actresses in East Asia and her image is ubiquitous in newsstands and on billboards across the region."
Rian Dundon is a Beijing based, American photographer and writer from Monterey, California. He has lived in Mainland China since 2005 and speaks Mandarin Chinese. Rian was born in 1980 and earned a B.F.A. in Photography and Imaging from New York University in 2003. He is a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States.
Rian has exhibited in solo and group shows at Beijing Photo Spring, The Camera Club of New York, The New York Photo Festival, and The Angkor Photography Festival. He has lectured on his work at New York University and East China Normal University in Shanghai. In 2007 Rian received a Tierney Fellowship in support of his work on fringe youth culture in central China.
Rian's photographs and writing have been featured in publications including The Irish Times Magazine, Newsweek, OUT, TIME, Stern and Swindle Magazine. He is a regular contributor at New America Media, the leading national advocate for ethnic media in the United States.
