As a teenager Zhijie Qiu often came home late because he had been working at school on a 'chalkboard newspaper'. These newspapers consist of a mix of news items and announcements that are generally posted on a chalkboard in calligraphy. The content can be anything from political news and propaganda to burglary prevention tips and information about personal hygiene or the SARS outbreak. In China there are chalkboard newspapers everywhere, in army barracks, factories and schools, both in the cities and in the countryside. Their national presence makes them a barometer of public attitudes, an expression of the 'hopes and fears of my times', as Zhijie calls them. Despite the great influence of radio and television, the chalkboard newspapers retain undiminished popularity in China. Zhijie Qiu photographed a large number of them in BLACKBOARDS (2004) and edited them into collages.

In addition to photographing Zhijie Qiu (China, b. 1969) is a reviewer, curator and professor at the art academy in Zhejiang. His work has been shown in the United States, Germany, Japan and other countries.

Courtesy CourtYard Gallery, China