Nigumeciwai, 22, has a family of 4 and only 9 acres of land. She lives on government handouts. June, 2001 [China.org.cn]

Photographer:

Yu Quanxing was born in 1962 and graduated from Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. He is an associate professor at the Journalism and Communication School of Tianjin Normal University. His photo work "Mothers in Poverty" has been published all over China and has been exhibited in Beijing, Tianjin and Henan and is part of a collection owned by Guangdong Art Museum. Yu was awarded the "caring contributor" prize by the China Happiness Project.

 

Yu Quanxing has traveled thousands of miles across 11 provinces to interview about 420 mothers living in poverty. His black-and-white pictures of them drew attention to the destitution in the west of China. Yu said he felt their determination and hope for a better life beneath the tears. (Curator: Zeng Huang)