Observing beauty and being creative

Zhu Jin, deputy mayor of Nantong and photographer.

Zhu picked up photography upon graduation from high school, some 30 years ago. He is modest about his achievements, saying that he has not made much progress over the years. He is into photography for fun and to keep a record of his life.

"I seldom go to a place specifically to take photographs. Most of my works just came to me naturally, including my bark series. I usually take interesting images when I am on a business trip or when I am taking a stroll," he says.

While most people strive to be creative, Zhu says it should be the other way around: Being creative is not something one can arrive at on purpose.

Zhu, who started his career in 1982, says he has always been willing to learn and explore new territories. Over the past 30-plus years, the positions he has assumed include the director of the local legal bureau and later, supervisor of the local economic system reform. All the jobs were demanding and require creativity.

He was also in charge of urban construction in the government, mainly responsible for environment protection, a job he found very stressful.

His interest in arts has helped him in his urban construction work.

"We cooperate with experts in environmental art and urban sculpture to research some problems together. Such partnerships helped to attract some Nantong artists to take part in building the city into a better place to live in," he says.

Now in charge of culture and education, Zhu displays some of his works during exhibitions as a way to promote local activities and create public awareness.

He believes art also helps a person become a good leader, adding that leaders should be able to understand and interpret the human heart. "A leader's unique taste in art will help him or her develop the art of leadership. It also helps to enhance the person's personal charm."

His work is also in line with the central government's call to build a beautiful China.

"We should be keen to discover the beauty in our daily lives. The government's call is not only related to conserving and creating a good natural environment. It also implies that people's pursuit should be beautiful," he says.

"It is quite sad to see that most people working in this industry are eager to be successful in a haste. Sometimes it is hard to tell the value of a piece of art. Be it literature or painting, the essence is the pursuit of beauty. No matter how creative or different the artist boasts of his work, if it is not beautiful, it is not successful, as far as I am concerned," he says.