Wolf Suschitzsky Photography Prize

Mike Ying’s dynamic portrait series How did you find me conveys the situation and difficulties of dancers out of work during the Covid-19 lockdown, situated not in studios but displaced at bus stops and London underground walkways. A love of life and the joy of performance in constantly changing, colourful environments and a different pictorial design in each work reveal a vivid image of its protagonists. The subjects of Ying’s portraits speak with their gaze and the power of body language. The title How did you find me is a question that the performers had asked during the portrait sessions. But the question has a distinct double meaning to it, as the question was asked out of relief and joy, not simple curiosity. They had been found again, put to use again, able to perform again. This series is not only about the portraits of people in 2020, but the futures beyond 2020, and their unstable foundation. All performers were contacted through social media, and has been an ongoing project since June of 2020. www.mikeying.com