My first visit to China, in the late 1980s, was arranged more or less on the spur of the moment with scant preparation.Accompanied by my wife, ÁlfheiÃur, we drifted into a world still demonstrably closed in on itself, suspicious of outsiders.It was a period of countrywide transition not dissimilar in many respects to a reawakening from sleep. Emerging from a position of relative isolation, China had begun to readjust towards the establishment of a more open market economy, under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping. Armed with only an anecdotal understanding of Chinese culture and history, the four months duration of our stay raised more questions than answers. Yet, in a certain sense, a door had been left ajar.

A few years later, I felt the need to return. In the course of around fifteen journeys to China, interspersed over the following three decades, time spent in the company of Chinese friends and acquaintances has provided me with numerous insights. These have greatly contributed to my appreciation and comprehension of Chinese culture. Behind a facade of relentless urban development, attachment to ancient values runs deep, woven tightly into the social fabric.

Gradually, my focus switched from photographing daily life, to searching out scenes or details that seemed to resonate within me, in order to piece together a sort of visual poetry composed of perceived or imagined cultural references. Accordingly, my vision is selective and has evolved over the course of 30 years.