In the midst of pandemic lockdowns and isolation, time fermented in memory, sticky and blurry; some days felt unbearably long, while others vanished without a trace. This might be closer to its true state—chaotic, cyclical, and permanent. As the man-made order began to crumble, PING’s lens captured another narrative of time on Sanya’s beaches: he started capturing every sunrise and continued for three years. It was a ritualistic repetition—grasping stability amidst turmoil, anchoring order in uncertainty, and building hope in unease.

However, sunrise is never repetitive. Examining the magnificent clouds or shimmering waves reveals mysterious silences within their layered folds. Like the smooth surface of amber concealing life’s undercurrents beneath it. PING’s photography is an individual gaze at time; through viewing these images, each individual’s experiences and memories are unconsciously activated, allowing them to recognize how time shapes themselves.

When the world stands still and fictional systems fail, the sun rises as usual but differently each day. Sunrise symbolizes cycles and change—a metaphor where time does not pass away but accumulates, intersects, and infinitely expands. And we find ourselves right in the middle of it.

About PING
During the pandemic, PING was assigned to work in Sanya and spent three years on the island, continuously documenting changes in the sunrise with his photography.