Longtang is a unique form of housing in Shanghai, once inseparable from the lives of millions of Shanghai citizens. Communities centred on a lane or several interconnected lanes, narrow and cramped, but always full of traces of living a life. It constitutes the most representative feature and important part of the local culture of modern Shanghai. This particular architectural form is a remnant of the history of the last century and symbolises a bygone era in China.
This is a diary with my observation of the field and the research of material, texture, functionality, and composition of the still life, which aims to present how these daily functional items in Longtang are being unconsciously organized in a way due to the living habits of the residents and environmental characteristics, which has also led to particular Eastern aesthetic ideas through my reading. Those circular shapes, potted plants, red basin, crystal-like clothing…It is incredible to see how people unintentionally create such beautiful frames, almost like a painting, in their ordinary life.
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©2024 Manyi Chan