Forgotten Chinese Photographer Resurrected

Famous war photographer Robert Capa, founding member of Magnum photos, was in China in 1938. He was covering the Chinese resistance against the Japanese invasion that had begun in July 1937. Capa was a seminal figure in the world of photojournalism; his work is familiar to many. But how many of you can say you've heard of Sha Fei, the Chinese photojournalist who was covering the same events as Capa?

Until recently, many Chinese hadn't even heard of him. Sha Fei's promising career in photojournalism took a turn for the worse when he fell mentally ill in his late 30s. He was tried and executed for murder in 1950, and his story was thereafter repressed.

Hide caption Song of the Fisherman, 1936. Created in the pictorialist style, this photograph represents Sha Fei's first career stage as a fine art photographer. Previous Next

Hide caption Fragility/A Piece of Thread in the Hands of a Compassionate Mother, circa 1935-36. Although he grew up in the busy coastal city of Guangzhou (Guangdong province), Sha Fei developed a strong connection to the countryside. Previous Next

Hide caption Most Children in China are Still Hungry, 1936. In Shanghai, Sha Fei recorded the poverty endured by the people. As a social documentary photographer, he considered photography "the most powerful weapon for exposing reality" of the common people. Previous Next

Hide caption The Eighth Route Army and Local Residents Celebrating the Recapture of Yuxian County, Hebei Province, 1937. Upon the outbreak of the China war with Japan (1937-1945), Sha Fei joined the Chinese Communist army, and became its official photographer. Previous Next

Hide caption The Eighth Route Army Moving Against the Japanese Siege, 1938. As an army photographer, Sha Fei had unique access to record military life. Previous Next

Hide caption Militiamen Using "Sparrow Tactics" in Guerilla Warfare, 1940. Sha Fei depicts local men and women as they appear as militia personnel in guerilla formations. They are portrayed as an indispensable force that provided assistance to the regular army. Previous Next

Hide caption A Young Participant at an Enlistment Campaign Gathering, Fuping, Hebei Province, 1939. Sha Fei took this photograph from a position among the crowd in an enlistment campaign. It depicts a young participant as he makes a call to arms. Previous Next

Hide caption The Eighth Route Army Helping Local People in the Autumn Harvest, 1939. In addition to their conventional representation as fighters, Communist soldiers are portrayed, in this photograph, as an agricultural force that helps local production of food. Previous Next

Hide caption Army-printers of the Jin-Cha-Ji Pictorial Press Preparing Copperplates for the Inaugural Issue of the Jin-Cha-Ji Pictorial, 1942. Sha Fei was one of the founders of the important Communist-sponsored publication, the Jin-Cha-Ji Pictorial. Previous Next

Hide caption Xu Qun, Art Director of the Jin-Cha-Ji Pictorial, Reading the Pictorial's 9th and 10th Combined Issue while Recovering at the Bethune Hospital at Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province. The Jin-Cha-Ji Pictorial circulated primarily within China. Previous Next

Hide caption Militiamen with Homemade Weapons Heading for the Battle Front, circa 1938-1940. Sha Fei captured the Chinese citizenry's changing perception of military service, which shifted from a contemptuous view to a positive one. Previous Next

Hide caption Liu Hanxing Accompanied by a Procession of Villagers as They Proceed to the Enlistment Ceremony, Pingshan, Hebei Province, 1942. Sha Fei photographed local resident Liu Hanxing as he joined a voluntary army. Previous Next

Hide caption Japanese Captives Singing as They Express Gratitude to Their Communist Captors before Release, 1938. Sha Fei captured specific moments and events to reveal the human side of the war. Previous Next

Hide caption At the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department of the Bethune International Peace Hospital, Tangxian, Hebei Province, 1944. In showing Western medical treatment, Sha Fei represents the Chinese Communist Party as an agent of positive change. Previous Next

Hide caption The Eighth Route Army Opening up Fallow Land for Farming as They Join the Great Production Drive, 1941. This panoramic image depicts numerous Communist soldiers on the expanse of a mountainous landscape, like ants working on an anthill. Previous Next 1 of 15 i View slideshow

An exhibition of Sha Fei's work debuts today for the first time in America — at Ohio State University's Urban Arts Space. The curator, Eliza Ho, was awarded a Presidential Fellowship by OSU to complete a graduate dissertation on Sha Fei. As she writes, the photographer lived "in one of the most turbulent periods in China's modern history. During his lifetime, China was radically transformed by a succession of revolutions and foreign invasions..."

Having witnessed their country in crisis, a new generation of Chinese youth grew up with a strong sense of patriotism. Sha Fei was part of this generation, and he shared with his peers a conviction to reform and modernize China. To contribute to that effort, Sha Fei chose photography as his medium because of its unique potential for representing the reality of the current age.