Works of a Chinese photographer whose one-piece photo snatched 7,800 pounds (about US$14,040) during a recent Bonhams auction in the capital are launched in a solo exhibition here Thursday in the city center.

"A World within a World" is Weng Peijun's first solo exhibition in Britain sponsored by the Red Mansion Foundation, a nonprofit organization set up in 1999 to promote artistic exchange between China and Britain.

The month-long exhibition which started Thursday showcases works from his outstanding "Staring at the Sea" series and also includes a site specific installation "The Viewing Stand." It offers a unique opportunity to see Weng's exciting installation work alongside several pieces of his renowned photography.

"'Staring at the Sea' is a utopian expectation of waiting for Goto kind, sensing the inner yearnings in temporary serenity. We are waiting for the numerous unknowns in the city. And we are sensing the same numerous unknowns in nature," said the 45-year- old photographer.

Weng was born in Hainan Province, southern China. Graduated from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 1985, he is now a lecturer at Hainan University College of Art.

Weng's work has been shown extensively throughout Asia, Europe, North and South America. He has exhibited in Korea at the Seoul Art Museum, in Japan at the Mori Art Museum, at the Kunst Museum Nordjllands in Denmark, and at the Museum de Arte Brasileira in Brazil.

Weng believes that art should not merely serves as something to be appreciated. It should also be thought provoking. "I try to let my photos be imbued with Chinese air, to present potential conflicts of the current world, and to reflect China's fast urbanization process," he said.

Weng's conceptual works focus on Chinese society and the rapid changes that it is undergoing. His 2001 series "Sitting on the Wall" and 2002's "Bird's Eye View" tackled the theme of growing materialism in China with pictures of schoolgirls amid stark urban settings. In this relatively new series "Staring at the Sea", the subjects are often joined by family members and the group identity brought forth is treated in a more contemplative mood against the almost dreamlike setting of the sea view.

"His photo series are poetic, calm, showing family or students being reflective at the sea," said Nicolette Kwok, founder and director of the foundation.

The exhibition will last till July 27.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2006)