周昕睿 Xinrui(Nancy) Zhou

About

周昕睿 Xinrui Zhou (b. 2002) is a Chinese photographer and visual artist based in London. Her work explores the intersection of urban culture, fashion, and identity, often weaving personal narratives to address themes of emotion and contemporary social issues. Xinrui’s photography blends poetic sensibility with bold visual language, transforming everyday scenes into emotionally charged stories.

Her project Silent Pulse examines the complex relationship between fan identity, emotion, and commercialization in modern football culture. Based on Xinrui’s personal experience of growing up in Dalian, China’s famed “football city,” and later relocating to the UK, the work explores how football has gradually shifted from a sport rooted in personal emotion and spiritual attachment to a highly commodified cultural phenomenon. It reflects on the ongoing negotiation of fan identity between personal affiliation and commercial forces.

Through scarves forming a symbolic “wall,” fleeting moments captured in images, and installations of personal objects, Silent Pulse immerses the audience in a space where emotions intertwine. It reflects the layered and resonating nature of fan identity, revealing the silent yet ever-beating pulse of emotion, while constructing a hidden dialogue on identity and cultural belonging. The project was awarded the ‘New Photography Prize 2025’.