When viewed together, “Open Air” by Lu Yanpeng and “Jungle Diary” by Huang Xiaoliang generate a pervasively tranquil yet sinister atmosphere. Placing the two exhibitions in proximity thus seems like a natural choice. They form a cohesive and a strong showcase from m97 Gallery this season.

Born in Fujian, Lu graduated from the Art Institute of Fujian University in 2005. Through his work he aims to capture “the forgotten split seconds” that “never stop existing” once photographed. His 24 images on display make up “Open Air”―the show that won him last year’s prestigious Best Photographer award at the Pingyao International Photography Festival.

The images, which share a foggy, blurry effect, are beguilingly similar upon first scan. Examine them more closely, though, and finer individual details emerge. Lu reveals dank mountainsides wreathed in mist and vintage-looking vistas flecked with birds and sepia pagodas. The results are slightly stifling, as the viewer struggles to see beyond the metaphorical fog.

The photographs are split into three groups. Fourteen square images inhabit one wall, depicting pastoral glimpses of mountains and trees. Five rectangular photographs are arranged on a second wall, the most striking being Swan at the Beiijng Zoo, in which a blurry white bird is captured on film, passing through the shot. The four remaining images include two of withered branches, plus a wide-scale view of Tian’anmen Square through a filter―so faint that it is tough to see.

Hunan-born Huang Xiaoliang’s photos in “Jungle Diary” parallel Lu’s collection in their experimentation with filters and effects to create an almost mournful atmosphere. But Huang adds strong black silhouettes of people and objects. Cable cars, tourists and Spring Festival items feature against whimsical, wispy backdrops. One of the most haunting is Warmth Yet Not Love (main image at the top of the article), in which a small child looks out through a magical glade onto a cloudy but bright sky. Many of Huang’s photographs channel traditional Chinese elements such as a rural marriage ceremony, the character fu (福) and a fish-shaped kite. Others show anonymous groups of people, either in the main frame or on the sidelines, as if to imply that humanity is irrelevant.

Like Lu Yanpeng, Huang has won quite a few awards for his work, including the Three Shadows photography prize, the Tierney Fellowship and the Fang Jun Art Award. Photography fans will want to keep these two young artists on their radar.

DETAILS

What: “Open Air” by Lu Yanpeng and “Jungle Diary” by Huang Xiaoliang

Where: m97 Gallery