Lin Zhipeng, aka No.223, born in Guangdong in 1979, a coastal province in southeast China, is currently living in Beijing. In 2003, he created a blog North Latitude 23 in which he published photos of his friends accompanied by short texts, which was very successful and quickly became one of the leading figures of the new emerging Chinese photography.

The artist took the pseudonym “编号223 | No.223” more than 20 years ago on social networks. It comes from the name of a young police inspector, a fascinating character in the film Chungking Express by Wong Kar-Wai released in 1994.

Over the past decade, No.223 has become an important figure of contemporary Chinese photography and his work has become political for many people.

Pascal Hoël (MEP, Head of collections) wrote “The photographs by n°223 depict a Chinese youth who lives as if without prohibitions or limits, and who indulge in love games, alternating exaltation, deep melancholy and playful sexuality”. To that, one must add 223’s own words “I have always been fascinated by the creative madness and the incredible energy that emanates from youth. Through my photographs of semi-nude or nude subjects I implicitly unveil the heart of China’s counterculture scene of liberated sexuality and gender orientations, my works and lifestyle are censured and persecuted in China”.

In collaboration with Galería Cadaqués, InCadaqués Photo Festival, Lin Zhipeng aka No.223, and in)(between gallery grouped outtakes from his two latest major exhibitions: Photographed Colors of Love,part of the group exhibition Love Songs – Photographies de l’intime at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie Paris, and Colors of Love,in)(between record vol. 45, his third personal exhibition in France.

The show revisits his personal love story with his past lovers and the intimate souvenirs of many of his friends, exposing his inmost gaze on love and sexuality of today’s Chinese youth. It is a display of expressive glaring portraits, colourful landscapes and people, of eroticism and embracing bodies in playful melancholy, all shaped by the touch of the stunning imperfections of this medium and the master’s talent.

The work of 223 reveals the heart of counterculture and by photographing young people enjoying life and love – passing through moments of melancholy and liberated sexuality – he challenges the conservatism in society and the government’s censorship in China.