"There was an unfiltered passion for visual culture, untouched by the demands of the 'image economy'. That kind of authenticity is rare, whether in contemporary art or commercial photography," she says.

In early May, Yan traveled from Guangzhou to Shanghai for just one weekend to inaugurate his exhibition.

"I'll need to return to work on Monday," says Yan, who holds a fulltime job as a user interface designer.

The man, who's in his 30s, turned to photography first as an outlet to blow off steam in 2018, when he had to work more than 10 hours a day.

"Back then, I felt completely drained. Yet, there was always this pent-up energy inside me, an urge to create something truly my own," he recalls.

So, he started to make a point of going out with his camera, shooting the city after nightfall and the overlooked details of his daily surroundings, no matter how late he got off work.

"For someone who isn't quite sure how to begin creating, the simplest forms, like writing or filming, might actually be good starting points," Yan explains.

His perspective tends to come from within the radius of his own life, like his residential community, the places he goes to and from work.