Maybe it is the same tree, maybe it is the same house, and maybe it is the same view, but are they really the same? Greg Lin Jiajie’s first solo exhibition, ‘Homecoming’ exhibited in Bethnal Green, London on 3rd of February. By showcasing photographic prints created through the years by the artist, Greg took us on a trip down memory lane to Fujian, his hometown, seeking out parts that he remembered from his childhood.
Born and raised in China, currently living in London, Greg has a fine art and photography background. His work showcases the talent brought by his life experiences and his Chinese cultural roots. The artist has a natural aptitude for storytelling; their work focuses on bringing tenderness to everybody away from home.
The opening night was a clear winter Friday; The air was crisp and fresh. From far away, I could see a crowd had already gathered outside. As I entered the gallery, I found myself soon surrounded by people, with photograph prints of various sizes adorning all five walls of the space at eye level. All of a sudden, I spotted drinks and canapes. It’s Chinese food! I then met Greg, the artist himself. He introduced me to his friends from their hometown, and that was how I started my journey of ‘Homecoming’.
The experience of being inside the gallery surrounded by the photographs was unique and intimate; as if peering through a peephole into Greg’s personal connection to his hometown; We were all outsiders, we were all peeking into Greg’s idea of hometown. The work was romantic, poetic and nostalgic, evoking a sense of tenderness and perhaps a hint of sadness. It reminded me of a poem I read years ago: ‘The final night, a pause before departure, but the future was a far-fetched idea whose time had not yet come.’ We all have something that we hold onto, and in this exhibition, Greg used his own way to forever preserve his version of Fujian.
The exhibition served as a peaceful protest against the rapid industrialization in his hometown. As demonstrated in a trio of photographs, ‘A Witness Tree’, a single tree as the main subject, and the background showing a construction site visible through the tree branches. Greg used his own elegant way to gently reveal how the developments have overtaken the hometown he remembers.
The series of four photographs titled ‘My Ancestral Home’ by Greg exposes the raw reality of how people move away from their hometown in search of a better life, leaving behind their homes as they were. While some things remain the same, others have changed. In the photographs, we can see overgrowing vines, discoloring paint on the walls perhaps due to dampness, and slight rust on the staircase and machine. However, the images also demonstrate the continuation of life, as evidenced by a calendar, fresh vegetables, and a half-empty water bottle in the background. These images remind me of the film ‘Tigertail’ by Alan Yang. In the final scene, the father says, ‘This was our house! It didn’t look like this the last time I was here.’
In addition to the landscapes and still lifes, Greg also included portrait photography in the show, which is something that he is well-known for. Among the 22 works he presented, there were three that featured a man, who is actually the artist’s grandfather. ‘The Steam’ is a photograph capturing Greg’s grandfather making brown sugar rice cake, ‘Before the Storm’ possibly depicts the artist’s grandfather collecting laundry to prevent it from getting wet during a storm, and ‘The Pink Mirror’ is a picture of Greg’s grandfather captured through a pink heart-shaped mirror with an old-fashioned calendar in the background. An interesting coincidence I observed from these three photographs is that the grandfather in all three is either being covered by steam or cloth, or captured from a mirror with his back turned. Through these pictures, we can see the deep connection between Greg and his grandfather, and how their daily life forms an integral part of Greg’s definition of home.
Overall, the collection of photographs highlighted the impact of rapid industrialization, memories of ancestral homes, and the emotional connection between family members. Greg’s use of photography allowed viewers to travel through his personal experiences and memories of Fujian. The selection of photographs may seem random, but I think that is exactly how we see memory - we cannot experience the past like we can the present. They reflect memory and how we experience the past, defining what home means to us in the present. The exhibition created a warm and tender experience that was welcome to interpretation and free of judgement, capturing the emotional essence of reminiscence through captivating and relatable photography.