These photos by Yan Yongliang absolutely blow me away. I love how he has mixed traditional techniques with modern photography to create these haunting, powerfully, moving series of images.

The image above come from a series based on Shan shui paintings. These type of paintings stem from a history that goes back more than 1,500 years ago and the images often depict scenes of natural landscapes and beautiful scenery. It’s a tradition that demands a rigorous set of requirements in the hopes of creating the perfect combination of balance, composition, and form.

Yang Yongliang’s work takes these requirements and then turns them on their head – tranquil surroundings become chaotic landscapes as old trees become large skyscrapers and gentle mists become billowing smoke. The finished result creates powerful and contemporary images that speak of the modern world and the concerns of our time.

View more examples on The Fox is Black