Zhiquan Zhao thesis exhibition: 'Journey to the American Dream'

Presenting a series of medium format photographs documenting the complex, often contradictory realities of the American South, Zhiquan Zhao (M.F.A. photography) shares his thesis exhibition Journey to the American Dream. These images, taken during an extended road trip through South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, trace the quiet remains of a dream long pursued and partially forgotten. Abandoned buildings, weathered signs, and solemn remnants of communities once filled with promise are framed by Zhao’s vision and shot entirely on 120 film, embracing slowness and reflection to align with the temporal and emotional depth of the landscapes he encounters.

Approaching the South as a foreigner raised in China, Zhao began this journey with expectations shaped by media-fed ideals of success, freedom, and abundance. What he discovered along the way were fragments of a different narrative, where the myth of the “American Dream” met disillusionment. Through his body of work, Zhao redefines this dream  not as a promise fulfilled but as a fading presence embedded in memory and material.

Opening reception: Friday, Sept. 26, 5–7 p.m.