On the afternoon of May 16, Henry Leutwyler's photographic art exhibition "Absent Presence" opened at the Xie Zilong Photography Museum. The exhibition systematically traces the artist's creative trajectory over four decades, presenting three series of works—portraits, still lifes, and ballet—among which the portraits are making their debut in south central China.

Born in Switzerland in 1961, Henry Leutwyler is a legendary self-taught portrait photographer. At age 16, he failed the entrance exam for photography school twice, yet never gave up his passion for photography. In 1985, he left Switzerland with a Kodak film camera, honing a distinctive artistic perspective through years of hardship in Paris and New York. As a long-time contributing photographer for top international publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Time, and National Geographic, he has focused on global celebrities, including Michael Jackson, Rihanna, and Lucy Liu. Using restrained, minimalist compositions and strong chiaroscuro contrasts, he strips away the external shells of identity to reach the core of creativity and spirit.

The "Absent Presence" exhibition is meticulously arranged into seven core sections: "Still Life," "Goats," "Walk A Mile in His Shoes," "12th Fret," "Ballet," "The Decisive Moment," and "Paris & NYC," systematically tracing the artist's creative trajectory over four decades. Among them, the "Paris" series includes works created by the artist from 1985 to 1995, while the "New York" series gathers his masterpieces from 1995 to the present. These two major series span time and space, showcasing Henry Leutwyler's artistic growth and stylistic evolution from Europe to the United States. The exhibited works cover three series—portraits, still lifes, and ballet—reconstructing the profound relationship between "gaze" and "presence" through a minimalist narrative of black-and-white light and shadow. Notably, the portrait series is making its debut in south central China, allowing viewers to closely gaze upon these familiar yet unfamiliar faces and rethink the relationship between the viewer and the portrait amid tranquil imagery.

Unlike traditional portrait photography, Henry Leutwyler's works focus more on capturing traces. He excels at using solid-colored backgrounds to detach the subject from cluttered environments. Whether it is a portrait or an item belonging to a celebrity, he endows it with a soul through a nuanced visual language, achieving the artistic effect of "letting the objects speak for themselves."

On the afternoon of May 16, the Xie Zilong Photography Museum concurrently held the "Life Edited" Henry Leutwyler Sharing Session, marking the artist's first sharing event in Changsha. During the session, Henry Leutwyler recounted the stories behind those classic celebrity portraits, creating a lively atmosphere.

It is reported that this exhibition is one of the themed events launched by the Xie Zilong Photography Museum to mark the 2026 International Museum Day. On May 18, the museum opened as usual and offered exclusive benefits, with visitors able to enjoy a half-price discount on tickets purchased through the official mini-program.

Information:
Venue: Exhibition Hall 1/2/3，2F, Xie Zilong Photography Museum, No. 387, Xiaoxiang South Road, Yuelu District, Changsha
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday; 10:00-18:00 (last entry at 17:30); open on public holidays

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.  

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: Hunan Daily