Ash (New Edition) by Chinese photographer Muge is a meditative photobook structured in three parts – Still Life, Shan Shui, and Scenery. Inspired by Lao Tze’s “Theory of Nature,” Muge approaches his subjects not as an outsider but as someone belonging to the environment, allowing nature, objects, and places to reveal their cycles of growth, decay, and transformation. Each image is printed in subtle shades of black and gray with special varnish techniques, creating a tactile interplay between texture and meaning. The book reflects on the cycles of yearning, destruction, and healing in the relationship between humans and nature, connecting personal memory with broader cultural and ecological reflections.
Muge (born 1979 in Chongqing, based in Chengdu) is a leading figure in contemporary Chinese photography. His work often addresses the transformations of his homeland and the concept of “home,” documented in projects such as Go Home, Ash, and Behind the Wall. He has exhibited internationally, including Fondation Cartier (Paris), Barbican (London), and Three Shadows Photography Art Centre (Beijing). Muge received the Photographer of the Year Award by PND in 2013, and his works have been featured in The New York Times and Le Monde.
