Can you tell us about your project “When We Two Parted,” how do you come up with this idea?

我的毕业创作是帮别人拍摄离婚纪念照。从最初去民政局门口拍摄他们离婚前的最后一张合影，到偷拍刚刚转变身份的人们，到和离异八年父母一次次有意无意的谈论到对方。我也有私心。我希望我的父母能再见一面。两个如此积怨已久的人，多年之后再次相见，那些仇恨还真的那么重要吗。这是否也值得纪念呢？

反思今天的婚姻制度，当局者的态度，以及公众的反应，似乎都在往好的方向发展。想得到幸福的人用一张纸得到家庭的温暖，想要结束自己不幸福的人能够用另一张纸换得个体的自由。他们分离的原因有很多，比如，出轨，贫穷，三观不合，家族矛盾，分居，产后抑郁。他们有成为亲密好友的，再也不见的，复婚的，离婚不离家的，或者一方已经不在了的。他们见面的状态也很不一样，有的能笑着喝交杯酒，有的友善又矜持，有的严肃沉默，有的一方仍是觉得可惜想要破镜重圆。每个人的处境都是独一无二的，这些照片承载着一系列不同的情感——关于遗憾和无助，原谅和和解。

我的项目其实还在持续中，现在我不只关注已经离婚的人，我还在拍摄单亲家庭的孩子的结婚照还有处于离婚冷静期的夫妇。

The series, titled ‘When We Two Parted’ started as a graduation piece for my degree at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and then evolved into a long-term project. I decided to take photos of my parents and other divorced couples, as a memorial to their life together and a chance for a better goodbye.Eventually, after talking with over 100 divorced couples, 12 agreed to let me take souvenir photos for them.It consists of a selection of couples’ portraits presented in elegant white frames, each accompanied by messages the divorced partners wrote for their former other halves.

The couples I photographed had already moved on emotionally by the time they met once more — unlike those who refused to take part, who were still entangled in their past lives. I didn’t tell my subjects how to pose; instead, I tried to capture their natural selves in the moment. Each subject’s situation was unique, and the photos carry a range of different sentiments — from regret and helplessness, to forgiveness and reconciliation.

My project is actually moving further, and now I'm not only looking at people who have already divorced, I'm also doing wedding photos of children from single parent families and couples who are in the cooling-off period of divorce..

( All Translation by Nemo Chen)

A divorced couple meet at a local housing bureau to transfer the ownership of their house to their daughter, in a photograph from the series “When We Two Parted,” 2019. The couple had recently finalized their divorce. Courtesy of Gao Meilin

In your survey, is there a story that means the most to you, what makes it special?

其实每一个分开的夫妻都让我印象非常深刻，这种分离和不得不重聚的连结是我觉得非常奇妙的事情，两个分开之后的人，因为家庭的其他成员重聚在一起，又形同一家人。或者因为经济上的原因还继续住在一个房子里，经营着一家店铺。诸如此类的并不彻底的分开一开始让我觉得离婚这个概念在他们之中非常模糊，我并不是能真正了解他们离婚的意义。但是当我拍摄那个离婚之后前夫去世了的女人的时候。我似乎理解了什么是无法弥补的遗憾和永远无法弥补的遗憾。

In fact, every divorced couple means a lot to me very much, and the connection between separation and having to reunite is something that I find fascinating. The two separated people, because the rest of the family comes together and becomes a family again. Or continue to live in the same house and run a business for financial reasons. Such incomplete separation at first made me feel that the concept of divorce was very vague among them, and I could not really understand the meaning of their divorce. But when I photographed the woman whose ex-husband died after the divorce. I seem to understand what is irreparable regret and regret that can never be remedied.

Do you feel different when you photograph your parents? How does it feel like?

我是最后才拍摄的我的父母，因为我之前太没有信心了。拍摄的那天其实有非常多的情绪混杂，尴尬，紧张，矛盾，禁戒，但是整体的感觉像是我回到了小时候跟父母一起去春游。结束了一天的游玩，我需要选择跟爸爸的车走还是跟妈妈回家，这时我才意识到，我的家没有了。这时我的选择也类似我每年过年要面对的问题，是回爸爸家过年还是妈妈家。但在那次拍摄之后，我的父母更理解我了。他们更多的不再从我身上找对方缺点的影子，而是让我多关心另一个人。

我其实前几天又带着我的父母回到家乡我们两年前拍摄离婚照的地方。这次经历让我觉得我的父母也在两年前的那一天成长了。这次经历比之前那次拍摄轻松缓和了许多，在我们都直面这个话题之后，我们都开始为对方考虑，我们都更关心彼此了。

My parents were the last ones I did because I was so insecure. There were a lot of mixed emotions, embarrassment, tension, conflict and abstinence on the day of shooting. But the overall feeling was like I was back in my childhood and went on a spring outing with my parents. At the end of the day, I had to choose between going with my father's car or going home with my mother. That's when I realized that my home was gone. At this time, my choice is similar to the problem I have to face every Year, whether to go back to my father's home or my mother's home. But after that shoot, my parents were more understanding. More often than not, they no longer look for the flaws of each other's shortcomings in me, but to let me care more about another person.

In fact, the other day I took my parents back to my hometown, and the place where we took the divorce photos two years ago. This experience made me feel like my parents grew up on that day two years ago. It was a much more relaxed experience than the previous shoot, and after we all faced the topic head-on, we all started thinking about each other, and we all cared more about each other.

Gao’s parents stand together gazing at the ocean, in a photograph from the series “When We Two Parted,” 2019. Courtesy of Gao Meilin

In the reality tv show “再见爱人 (See you again) ”, you took photographs of the partners that are facing their marriage decisions. How does this experience different from your previous projects?

这次拍摄我并没有延续之前的工作方式，而是尝试了一些新的可能性。因为我在节目之中并没有很多时间直接接触并了解他们的故事，我对他们的了解很多来自于文字性的描述，所以我提前根据我已知的关于他们的问题和可能产生探讨的话题进行了一些拍摄上的设计。这样才能在较短的时间内让对他们提出有效的回应。因为我的拍摄是他们在旅途之中第一次有两个人单独相处的机会，其中还有人之前没有生活在一个城市，所以我其实并不想用太多的提问性的语言去打破这种僵局，而是将时间交给他们，用一些能让他们产生回忆和互动的置景将情绪缓缓的带入。我觉得还是挺有效的方式。

Instead of continuing my previous work, I tried some new possibilities. Because I didn't have much time to directly communicate with them (The partners in the show) and understand their stories in the show, I learned a lot about them from the written descriptions. I made some shooting plans and designs in advance according to my understanding about their problems and possible topics for discussion. This allows for an effective response to them in a shorter period of time. Because shooting with me was the first time for them to be alone with each other in the journey. Before this, there were partners who don't live in the same city, so I really don't want to use too much questioning language to break the ice, but leave the time to them, and gently bring their emotions into the scene with settings that evoke memories and interactions. I think it's a pretty effective way.

A photograph of a divorced couple from the series “When We Two Parted,” 2019. The woman is taking a call from a friend, while her ex-husband gives her some space. The couple separated several years ago, and have since made peace each other’s new lives. Courtesy of Gao Meilin

Describe your creative process in one word.

复杂，这个复杂并不是说我的作品形式很复杂，而是用这样的方式展示了每个人都是如此复杂的个体。同一事件对这个社会来说更加复杂。

Complexity, this complexity does not mean that my works are complicated, but in such a way to show that everyone is such a complex individual. The same event is more complicated for this society.

If you could teach a one-hour class on anything, what would it be?

我觉得我并没有什么可以教的，可能只是一些关于摄影技能上的东西，但是我非常喜欢分享，我可以分享我喜欢的书籍和电影。我觉得我可以教所有关于暗房工作的课程，这是我非常喜欢和擅长的。关于如何将时间和情感融入照片。我觉得这种方式创造出来的照片都是有温度和情感的。

I don't think I have anything to teach, maybe just something about photography skills, but I really like to share, I can share my favorite books and movies. I feel like I can teach all kinds of lessons about darkroom work, which I really like and excel at. About how to put time and emotion into a photo. I think the photos created in this way are all warm and emotional.