Ruonan Shen/ Autumn Issue

Ruonan Shen is a visual artist and photographer based in London. She is currently a student at the University of Arts London in Interior Design. Working primarily with conceptual portraiture, Shen’s practice explores the aesthetics of identity, performance, and visual tension within constructed spaces. Her recent works engage with gender expression and transformation, focusing on China’s emerging drag scene as a lens through which to question the boundaries of beauty, strength, and self-presentation. Shen creates highly staged environments that balance intimacy and control, presence and absence. Drawing from minimal aesthetics, theatrical artifice, and emotional ambiguity, Shen’s photographs challenge normative visual codes while inviting moments of stillness and reflection. As an emerging artist, she is interested in photography not as documentation, but as reconstruction—a deliberate and quiet act of image-making on their own terms.

Kite 2

This collection of long exposure photographs originates from Hequ Village in Pingshan County, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China. Through the lens of long exposure photography, landscapes are transformed, capturing the delicate interplay between man-made installations and the organic forces of wind and water. The work delves into the profound conflict between the artificial and the natural, evoking a sense of tension and harmony that permeates the environment. Each image serves as a portal, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the surreal beauty of these scenes. The absurdity of the juxtaposition prompts a deeper contemplation of how artificial constructs influence and intertwine with the natural world, reflecting the complexities of modern existence. This visual dialogue encourages a reevaluation of the relationship between humanity and nature, urging viewers to consider the delicate balance that sustains both. In this exploration, the photographs become more than mere representations; they are invitations to reflect on the intricate connections that shape our world.