Growing up in Shenzhen, China, in the 1990s and early 2000s, Peng Ke saw the city’s population explode from 300,000 to 15 million. This rapid growth and the often incorrect narratives surrounding it inspired Peng to pick up her camera and start documenting real lived experiences of Chinese modernity. Her photo book “Salt Ponds” explores the public spaces that city dwellers share, from amusement parks to hotel lobbies, revealing the hidden intimacy and repeated alienation that coexist amidst rapid urban transitions. Peng splits her time between Shanghai and Los Angeles, and her work has been featured in exhibitions at the likes of Lianzhou Museum of Photography, Guangzhou Airport Biennial, Format Festival, and Beijing Photo Biennial.
