Liu Shuwei lives and works in Shanghai.
He confronts the fears and transformations in life through image making, while always seeking to forge altered spatiotemporal encounters.
His solo exhibitions include “Vanishing Act” (Maison Ming in Hong Kong, 2025), “Tides, yes, breathing” (Photo Saint Germain in Paris, 2024) and “Blue Trilogy” (Vu Photo in Quebec City, 2017). He has participated in institutional group shows: the Power Station of Art, the Shanghai Rockbund Art Museum, the PHmuseum, and the Jimei × Arles International Photo Festival. He has been selected as a finalist for the Three Shadows Photography Award and the Lensculture Portrait Award, and in 2019 he was named one of the “Ones to Watch” by the British Journal of Photography. Liu has participated in residency programs such as the Vermont Studio Center and the Aranya Art Center. His works have been featured in the New York Times, i-D, Leap, and Artforum, among other publications.
Education
2009 Bachelor of Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Solo Exhibitions
2025 Vanishing Act, Maison Ming, Hong Kong
2024 Tides, yes, breathing, Photo Saint Germain, Paris, France
2017 Blue Trilogy, Vu Photo, Québec city, Canada
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025 Soft Crash, Eaton, Hong Kong
2025 Closer, Jenxuan Gallery, Shanghai, China
2022 No Sample, Radius Gallery, Xi'an, China
2022 No Sample, G-Lake Art Center, Fuzhou, China
2021 F-CARE, International Media Port, Shanghai, China
2021 Sleeper In Metropolis, Siilk Gallery, Athens, Greece
2020 Clairvoyant Proverb, Huawei Flagship Store, Shanghai, China
2019 Embracing Complexity and Uncertainty, PHmuseum
2018 PhotoVogue Festival, Milan, Italy
2018 5th Biennale Of Fine Art & Documentary Photography, Space Nau Bostik, Barcelona, Spain
2018 Vintage Photography Festival, Bydgoszcz, Poland
2018 Yá Văe, Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2018 A nous la mode, Chengdu Museum, Chengdu, China
2018 A nous la mode, Three Shadows Photography Art Center, Xiamen, China
2018 A nous la mode, Bailian Space, Shanghai, China
2018 A nous la mode, Temple Gallery, Beijing, China
2017 Here We Live, The State Hermitage Museum, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
2017 Artefiera Bologna, Bologna, Italy
2016 Jimei × Arles Photo Festival, Xiamen, China
2016 The Amoy Meat Factory, Emerging Curator Project, Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China
2016 Action! Imaged Bodies, LEAP Pavilion, Photofairs Shanghai, China
2016 Night, The Center For Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO, The States
2016 Three Shadows Photography Award Exhibition, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Beijing, China
2015 Organic Iconography, Go East Project & Auto Studio, Beijing, China
2015 The Possibility of An Island, Xiamen, China
2015 Barcelona International Photography Awards, Galeria Valid Foto BCN, Barcelona, Spain
2013 Renaissance, Chalk House Gallery, London, UK
2013 No More Mono, LDDC, Beijing, China
2012 Worbz Photo Exhibition by Yellow Pimento, Brussels, Belgium
Artist in Residence
2022 PhotoVogue & Voice residency
2020 Aranya Art Center
2017 Vermont Studio Center
2016 Red Gate Residency
Awards & Grants
2019 British Journal of Photography, "Ones to Watch" talents, finalist
2018 Photovogue Festival, Finalist
2017 Vermont Studio Center Fellowship
2016 PDN The Look Fine Art "First Place" Award
2016 LensCulture Portrait Awards, Finalist
2016 Red Gate Residency Emerging Chinese Artist Award
2016 Three Shadows Photography Awards, Finalist
2015 Barcelona International Photography Awards:BIPA 2015, Finalist
Artist Talks
2024 The Aura of Photography, Opensee, Shanghai, China
2023 Horst P. Horst & Surrealism in Contemporary Perspective, RE:Charge, Shanghai, China
2021 F-CARE: Is Fashion Photography Sustainable?, International Media Port, Shanghai, China,
2018 A nous la mode, Temple Gallery, Beijing ,China
2016 Visible Darkness, Three Shadows Photography Art Center, Xiamen, China
2015 A Blue Trance, Undefine, Shanghai, China
2015 Indigo & The Color Blue, C-Platform, Xiamen, China
Press & Media
2024 Numero, Modern Weekly
2023 LEAP Magazine
2022 i-D, Same Paper, Jia Za Zhi, Modern Weekly, Elle Men China
2021 Marie Claire China, T magazine China, Exit Magazine, Jia Za Zhi
2020 i-D UK, The New York Times, LensCulture, Jia Za Zhi, T magazine China, Vogue China
2019 Indie, It’s Nice That, British Journal of Photography, Vogue China
2018 British Journal of Photography, Photography of China, Vogue Italia, i-D UK, Telegraph UK, Dazed UK
2017 Art World, Gup Magazine, Kaltblut, Vogue Italia, LensCulture, Dreck Magazine, Elsewhere Magazine, I-D aunz
2016 ARTFORUM, Chinese Photography, LEAP Magazine, PDN, Genda Magazine, FotoRoom, LensCulture
2015 Der Greif, Feature Shoot
2013 Oh Comely Magazine, Selvedge Magazine
2012 Wombat, Cover Magazine, Worbz, Pupa Magazine
2011 Jia Za Zhi,City Pictorial, Phase Magazine
2010 City Pictorial, Marie Claire
2009 No.Music Magazine, City Pictorial