Hailun Ma - Hometown

COMING SEPTEMBER 2026 Foam presents the photobook Hometown by young and upcoming photographer Hailun Ma, one of the leading voices of a new generation of Chinese image-makers, whose work moves between autonomous practice, editorial photography and fashion commissions. The book is published for the occassion of the solo exhibition with the same name, which is on show at Foam from 18 September until 20 January 2027. Born and raised in Xinjiang and later educated in New York, Ma brings a perspective shaped by living between cultures. Her work examines the relationship between people, place and identity across Central Asia and contemporary China, drawing on personal experience while engaging broader questions of belonging, representation and cultural continuity. The book brings together several of Ma’s recent series, including Xinjiang Fashion Guide, Streetculture, Family and Urban Arts. Together they present a portrait of everyday life in Xinjiang through family relationships, youth culture and local style. Alongside these series, the exhibition includes a selection of magazine covers created for international fashion publications. Many of the photographs are bright, playful, and marked by moments of humour; in her work, she moves fluidly between carefully staged compositions and spontaneous encounters. Moving beyond generalized representations of Xinjiang, Hometown offers a perspective rooted in everyday experience. Ma photographs the people and places she knows, allowing ordinary moments to reveal the complexity of contemporary life. Her images speak before they are explained, inviting visitors to look closely at how home is continually shaped through family, migration, friendship, and the cultures people create together. In doing so, Hometown shows a personal portrait of one of China's most culturally diverse regions. The international publication Hometown is published by Lannoo and made possible by the generous support of Outset Netherlands. With poems written by Hailun Ma. Publisher: Lannoo, 2026 192 pages, hardcover 250 mm x 200 mm x 23 mm English text, poems in English and Chinese ISBN: 9789059968424