Rihanna, fondly known in China as The Queen of Shandong after at least eight of her songs were translated into places in Shandong, has once more collaborated with photographer Chen Man in yet another gorgeous photoshoot that represents the best of Chen Man.
Last time, their photoshoot was wildly loved by most but criticized by some for cultural appropriation even though it was work by a Chinese photographer for a Chinese magazine that was only using Rihanna as a model (okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s mostly true). Plus, using traditional Chinese elements to create new looks is both one of Harper Bazaar China and Chen Man’s favorite themes (ex: Chen Man’s Chinese steampunk ). These people are essentially saying Chen Man should only be able to photograph “Asians” or lose her signature style.
But I digress. Even worse, this article from Bustle complains the photoshoot isn’t just problematic for being Chinese, but also for not being Chinese enough. The claim is that it’s too pan-Asian. Here’s a quote:
Rihanna’s hairstyle in this shoot, with blunt, slicked-down bangs and a bun, is reminiscent of a geisha’s traditional up-do. Although she’s not wearing a kimono, the image of Rihanna standing on a wooden foot bridge holding a paper umbrella further invites the comparison. There are also some shots where she is holding a fan.
While Chen Man does often have Japanese influences in her work, all of the elements used here can also be traced to China. I feel like most readers here will recognize the obvious elements used in this photoshoot, but here’s an introduction to elements used in this photoshoot in case someone was searching about this photoshoot and was misled.
Rihanna by Chen Man with Peking Opera influences
First, Rihanna is wearing a wrap that could definitely be considered inspired by a kimono, so the author wrong even about her. But both this dress and others in the photoshoot can also be inspired by a Chinese hanfu, a predecessor to the kimono.
Peking Opera influences
As stated by the magazine itself, Rihanna’s hair in the photoshoot is mostly inspired by Peking Opera. The use of a center bang in Peking Opera is a new innovation invented by Mei Lanfang inspired by historical hairstyles. Even back then it was hip to be more “historically accurate”.
The use of a center bang, as shown here by Yin Zheng in upcoming series Winter Begonia, is invented by Peking Opera artist Mei Lanfang.
Diancui
The blue hairpins are diancui, a traditional jewelry made from bird’s feather that decorates headdresses in Peking Opera. Because the process of getting the feathers is widely decried as cruel, they are no longer being made.
Wow, has this person even seen Disney’s Mulan? Everyone has a man-bun there. Buns are definitely not exclusive to geishas or Japan. Here’s a photo of live-action Mulan actress Liu YIfei in a man-bun to remind you.
Drawing inspirations from across China, this collections of covers Chen Man did for i-D was one of her early big hits. It’s easy to see how she incorporates the type of jewelryused in this collection into Rihanna’s hairstyles.
Fans
The first Chinese fans were rigid fans made of first bamboos, palms, feathers, silk, cloth, and paper. , While the folding fan was first introduced to China via Japan when it was offered as a tribute back in 988 AD, it has become a common part of Chinese culture in the millennia since. There are records of Chinese folding fan makers since at least the Song Dynasty, and by the late Ming Dynasty folding fans had become the mainstream fan-style among both men and women. Paper folding fans are used to showcase calligraphy and art. They’re very commonly used in other Chinese art forms such as dance, xiangsheng, and Chinese operas. They’re also commonly used in modern pop culture. For example, the popular fan dance with SING girl group, this figure skating program by Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, and Beijing folk ballad by Zhang Yunlei.
Yan Xujia, Guo Zifan, and Zhao Lei’s Western Chamber borrows from elements of Chinese opera, including the use of fans.
Wooden foot bridge
Every civilization that has met timber has those. I have walked across make-shift wooden bridges in America.
Wooden bridges depicted in The Forbidden Palace Museum’s phone game inspired by Song-dynasty painting The Thousand Li of Mountains and Rivers.
The spread of oil-paper umbrellas was started by the invention of Yun (雲氏), wife of Luban (魯班). “Chop bamboo sticks to thin strips, covered in animal fur, closed to become a cane, opened as a cone.” But early umbrella materials were mostly feathers or silks, later replaced by paper. When oil-paper umbrellas first appeared is unknown. Some estimate that they spread across to Korea and Japan during the Tang dynasty. It was commonly called the “green oil-paper umbrella” during the Song dynasty. The popularity grew and the oil-paper umbrella became commonplace during the Ming dynasty. They are often mentioned in popular Chinese literature, most notably as the way the leads of Madame Lady Snake met.
7Sense’s umbrella dance inspired by Madame Lady Snake,
Mechanical dragons
Mechanical Chinese mythical creatures are one of Chen Man’s signature looks (see here). Here’s a photo for Zhang Ziyi with the same dragon model and even the same hat style.
additional sources:
Qian, G. (2004). Chinese Fans: Artistry and Aesthetics. United States of America: Long River Press.
Rihanna by Chen Man with lion dance elements With Peking Opera elements back in 2015 Rihanna, fondly known in China as The Queen of Shandong after at least eight of her songs were translated into places in Shandong, has once more collaborated with photographer Chen Man in yet another gorgeous photoshoot that represents the best of Chen Man.
Sinology Sunday: Chinese elements in Chen Man’s Rihanna photoshoot Rihanna by Chen Man with lion dance elements With Peking Opera elements back in 2015 Rihanna, fondly known in China as The Queen of Shandong after at least eight of her songs were translated into places in Shandong, has once more collaborated with photographer Chen Man in yet another gorgeous photoshoot that represents the best of Chen Man.
Rihanna by Chen Man in a Tang Dynasty-inspired editorial. I especially love the makeup in this. It’s so clearly Tang Dynasty inspired yet also perfectly combines modern aesthetics (cough, Mulan live-action, cough). Petition for Rihanna to appear in the next Tang Dynasty drama.
