Born in 1985 in Shanxi Province, China, photographer Liu Di graduated from the Professional Photography Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 2009. In 2010, the young artist won the Lacoste Elysee Prize for his series called “Animal Regulations”.

Liu’s images are composed of over-sized animals set in suburban settings like residential compounds, Hutong districts, and the scenes of demolished homes.

“My work is about the conflicting relationship between nature and human society, which is created by the phenomenal rate of Chinese urban development”  Animals represent the laws of nature, The environment they’re placed in represents the human living conditions. The animals are big because they reflect the tremendous power of nature. Some viewers will sense sadness from seeing the back of a panda, while others will interpret its stance as a reflection of society’s imbalanced development.”