Constructed Wilderness

Photographer

Zixin Xiao

Category

Editorial Photography - Documentary

Company

Submission Group

Student

Year

2026

Country / Region:

United Kingdom

This project explores how museums reconstruct and present nature as a curated experience. Through dramatic lighting, shadows and monochrome imagery, I document the boundary between reality and representation. Rather than photographing living animals in their natural habitats, I focus on taxidermy displays and artificial environments that imitate wilderness. The absence of colour removes distractions and emphasises texture, shape and atmosphere, creating a sense of ambiguity between life and stillness. These images encourage viewers to question how humans interpret, preserve and consume nature through observation, transforming wild animals into carefully staged subjects for public viewing.

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