In Conversation: Jing Huang with Ralph Gibson
In Conversation: Jing Huang with Ralph Gibson
July 16, 2025
Baby’s Hand with Guitar, 1960 – 1961 © Ralph Gibson
In celebration of Leica’s 100 year jubilee, the Leica Gallery Taipei is presenting the exhibition In Conversation: A Photographic Dialogue between Jing Huang and Ralph Gibson from July to November. The work of both Leica Hall of Fame winner Gibson and the 2011 Leica Oskar Barnack Award Newcomer winner Huang, is characterised by the keen sense of formal beauty and painterly quality of their photographs. This poetic exchange in black and white clearly highlights the artistic approach of Leica photography.
Jing Huang: “It’s a true honour to have this dialogue with Master Gibson. He has been one of the key guides on my photographic journey—his passion for still life opened my eyes to a broader vision. In this conversation, I’ve paid special attention to the expression of still life, which subtly resonates with the Chinese traditional painting philosophy of “infusing emotion into objects”. Still life carries traces of human life, serving as vessels of mood and meaning. Yet, in terms of technique, my approach contrasts with Gibson’s: I employ a low-contrast effect closer to Chinese ink wash painting, hoping to offer viewers a more contemplative and layered experience.
Since I studied painting in my early years, I paid more attention to the formal beauty in photographic works. Gibson’s works have a strong sense of painting, perfect block surface matching, and grayscale. Excesses, subtle changes in proportion, and grainy textures all make me happy, which attracts me more than the subject matter of the work. In this dialogue, I added elements of traditional Chinese art aesthetics and tried to bring them into photography.
Lately, much of my work has been intertwined with art history, so my approach has been shaped by the dialogue—and sometimes fusion—between Eastern and Western artistic sensibilities. I’ve found inspiration in interpreting Eastern art through the lens of Western visual language. Furthermore, becoming a parent has opened my eyes to the uniquely unfiltered perspective of a child. Their way of seeing has quietly become a vital wellspring of ideas for me.
I particularly like most Gibson’s picture Baby’s Hand and Guitar. First of all, it has a perfect form. The baby’s little hands are waving in the white basket. The backlight makes the picture full of textured particles. What’s more important is that my daughter has just been born. This tender feeling in the picture moved me very much.
Jing Huang: “It’s a true honour to have this dialogue with Master Gibson. He has been one of the key guides on my photographic journey—his passion for still life opened my eyes to a broader vision. In this conversation, I’ve paid special attention to the expression of still life, which subtly resonates with the Chinese traditional painting philosophy of “infusing emotion into objects”. Still life carries traces of human life, serving as vessels of mood and meaning. Yet, in terms of technique, my approach contrasts with Gibson’s: I employ a low-contrast effect closer to Chinese ink wash painting, hoping to offer viewers a more contemplative and layered experience.
Since I studied painting in my early years, I paid more attention to the formal beauty in photographic works. Gibson’s works have a strong sense of painting, perfect block surface matching, and grayscale. Excesses, subtle changes in proportion, and grainy textures all make me happy, which attracts me more than the subject matter of the work. In this dialogue, I added elements of traditional Chinese art aesthetics and tried to bring them into photography.
Lately, much of my work has been intertwined with art history, so my approach has been shaped by the dialogue—and sometimes fusion—between Eastern and Western artistic sensibilities. I’ve found inspiration in interpreting Eastern art through the lens of Western visual language. Furthermore, becoming a parent has opened my eyes to the uniquely unfiltered perspective of a child. Their way of seeing has quietly become a vital wellspring of ideas for me.
I particularly like most Gibson’s picture Baby’s Hand and Guitar. First of all, it has a perfect form. The baby’s little hands are waving in the white basket. The backlight makes the picture full of textured particles. What’s more important is that my daughter has just been born. This tender feeling in the picture moved me very much.
TEXT: © Jing Huang, Photo: © Ralph Gibson
In Conversation+-
The exhibition is on display from July 10 to November 10, 2025, at the Leica Gallery in Taipei.
Jing Huang+-
Jing Huang was born in Guangzhou in 1987 and now lives and works in Shenzhen. He studied photography at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 2010. The following year, he won the Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award for his series Pure of Sight. His work has been exhibited internationally. More
Ralph Gibson+-
Born in Los Angeles, California, on January 16, 1939, Gibson studied Photography in the U.S. Navy; and at the San Francisco Art Institute (1960-62). He worked as an assistant to Dorothea Lange (1961-62), and Robert Frank (1967-68). Gibson founded Lustrum Press in 1969. Since then, over 40 monographs have been published. His work is found in the most important museum and private collections, has been exhibited around the world, and has received many awards. These include the Leica Medal of Excellence in 1988, the French Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur in 2018, and his induction into the Leica Hall of Fame in 2021. Gibson lives in New York. More
Baby’s Hand with Guitar, 1960 – 1961 © Ralph Gibson