Silence of the Desert NO.1 – Gansu, China

Title of the Artwork: Silence of the Desert NO.1– Gansu, China

Year of Photography: 2006

Printing Process: ILFORD MULTIGRADE IV RC photo paper, hand-printed using silver halide process

Artwork Dimensions: Height 9.5 in, Width 12 in (the artwork is in perfect condition)

Artist’s Reflection

In 2006, I ventured deep into the heart of Dunhuang’s Yardang landforms, using black-and-white film to capture this wind-carved wonder. In the first image, a lone rider stands motionless atop a weathered rock, solemn and solitary in the vast, silent expanse. The second, taken from above, reveals the textures and patterns of the Yardang formations—like the rings of time etched into the earth.

By removing the distraction of color, black-and-white photography enhanced the raw lines and surfaces, delivering a visual stillness as though time itself had been paused. During the shoot, I followed the natural rhythm of light and shadow, letting this “forest of stone” speak for itself—its mystery, its silence, its deep memory of ancient winds.

Background Story

The Yardang landforms near Dunhuang lie on the border between Gansu and Xinjiang, at the western edge of the former Lop Nor basin, some 80 kilometers from the Yumen Pass. In ancient times, this region was a key marker on the northern route of the Silk Road. Today, it is a desolate stone wilderness. A thousand years ago, merchants, emissaries, and monks passed through here—leaving behind only echoes of hoofbeats and caravan bells.

Local legends speak of a lost caravan swallowed by a desert storm, its figures turned to stone and preserved as part of the Yardang formations—known by some as the "Stone Souls of the West." The sculpted shapes seem to hold their marching formation even now, frozen in time. Their sharp edges are the work of wind and years, while the desert still whispers the forgotten tales of those who once passed through.