The true identity of China remains obscure, hidden by centuries of isolation, decades of secrecy and layers of new dust.
This book is not an attempt to define China. It is meant simply as a record of exploration, a subjective observation, a collection of moments from the year 2007, the year of the pig.
Although the work is gleaned from various assignments and opportunities, it is held together by the very essence of a culture undergoing great change.
The paradox is evident to anyone who digs a bit deeper into this complex society.
China is rolling down a road that is new and strange, and as the rest of the world follows its progress, we witness a transformation that remains unfinished.

Using a cinematic approach to montage, CHINA: Paradox and Progress combines images that work photographically through the use of contrast, similarity, and parallelism to explore issues of modern China.
All text and photographs by John Hames.