Xinyang Han is the 2024 winner of the Sproxton Award for Photography.
Xinyang holds an MA in Photography (Distinction) from University of the Arts London and a Bachelor of Design in Architecture from the University of Melbourne.
Her architectural background shaped an early interest in transforming space, but over time, this evolved into a deeper appreciation for nature and a focus on coexistence. Working with photography, moving image, and sound, Xinyang explores her connection to the environment with a sense of childlike wonder - blending into the world like a rabbit or a blade of grass.
'Go as Far as You Can' is a 2-minute 36-second moving image piece where I experiment with a new visual language for contemporary photography. The work is inspired by my grandmother’s heartfelt advice before I left China to study abroad. It reflects on the emotions of leaving home, embracing the unknown, and fostering personal growth.
Using a fragmented narrative and childlike perspective, the project conveys innocence, optimism, and the courage to see life as a playground despite uncertainties. It transitions from a liminal imagination to grounded reality, symbolising a shift from avoidance to confronting change.
Reconnecting with nature becomes a central theme, rebuilding a sense of belonging and balance. In the first half of the video, I rush through an imaginary maze like a restless little rabbit. When I finally pass through the cave that connects imagination and reality, it marks the moment I decide to change my world with nothing but my small, insignificant hands. But in truth, it isn’t the world that changes—it’s the way I see it.
The video concludes with a deeply personal scene in which I photograph my grandmother. Her mantra, “Look up at the sky,” echoes over imagery of people and nature reaching upward—like trees and grass, reaching for a world beyond their earthbound perspective.